Close Your Eyes And Count To Ten
by lumos maximum
Summary: Hermione is counting to ten as Ron and Hermiones life together plays out in 10 chaps. Proposal, Marriage, Children & Fights. Sometimes I love you isn't enough but blue roses do help. Post-DH. realistic, bit fluffy and canon. RW/HG.HP/GW. RW/SM. COMPLETE!
1. I: The Proposal

SwedishA/N:Well, it started as a one-shot but developed to this work... Ten chapters that is the milestones of Ron and Hermiones life together.  
Proposal, Children, Marriage, Work etc. I do not own these characters and I applaud J.K who made it possible for me to love something this badly.  
Ideas in this fic are also used by me in my other fictions, therefore this fic sets my tone -- ideas are mine and mine only. it's not nice to steal.

**16 dec 2009 - AFTERMATCHWarning:** The english is far from flawless in this piece (first piece ever written in english but don't let that faze your judgement) but the ideas however are very original, I'll eat my word if they arent. I'll probably tend to this story when the time is given but I like it in it's own flawed self. Englishwise however improves during the fic. As always the reviewers who comment my english are of the kindest sort and those who simply klicked in here to see what Ron and Hermione were up to are of the cutest kind.

Enjoy, I sure did writing it.

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**Ron/Hermione: Close your eyes and count to ten**

Published: 08-25-09 - Finished: 10-10-09

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"Close your eyes Hermione."  
"Why?"  
"I want to surprise you."  
"Okay, now what?"  
"Count to ten."  
"It's silly Ron!"  
"Merlin Hermione, just count!  
"Fine – One…"

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I :  
The Proposal

The door to the fancy muggle restaurant that Hermione seemed to love was now held up by Ron. Hermione walked in followed by Ron who was very dressed up in his suit.  
"They are quite nice" He added to a happy Hermione who got the suit to him for his birthday last year. Ron led her to a table with a candle on it and just as they sat the waiter came and asked them if they wanted the "love-bird" special tonight. Normally Ron would gag at the waitors "love-bird" special but instead he said something that sounded a lot like "As lovebirds we should take that, shouldn't we?" and looked at Hermione. Hermione started to laugh so hard that the waiter felt a bit embarrassed and Ron who seemed so amused by the whole situation said "the regular" and sent the waiter off with an apologizing smile.

"He always knew how to made me laugh" she thought to herself and looked loving at her nervous boyfriend Ronald Weasley that sat in that adorable suit she got for him. They had their ups and downs like the most people but their ups was extremely good and she couldn't help but feel that their downs was too bad to be acceptable. Never less she loved that man that sat across the table with a hungry stare at the plate of steak that just arrived. She looked at her lasagna and they started to eat, but never in silence. Ron was having a huge rant on Perkins at the muggle-division in the Ministry of Magic and as devoted as Hermione always tried to be when she absolutely knew that Ron needed to let some steam out she nodded and smiled and let out an accessional "No, did he really?" when it fitted. She couldn't help but feel that Ron was looking handsome today, her knight.

The deserts came and Ron though knew that this is the moment. With Hermione as a girlfriend he saw a lot of muggle movies who seemed to be a normal thing to do as couples. They always proposed at the desert and the girl often cried of happiness and they lived happily, carefree and with a lot of babies. She took up a strawberry from her plate with her fingers and put it into her mouth and looked so adorable. Ron was fighting the urge to kiss her across the table as he always did when she was being extra cute at the dining table. "Come to your senses Ron!" he thought and stood up and gave Hermione a look and felt almost immediately ill.

"What the hell is he doing"

.

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Ron got down on one knee infront of her and seemed to struggle. Hermione looked so confused by the whole situation. Of course she knew that he struggled to not kiss her when he sat in front of the table but she guessed that is was because the table had a candle in the middle. But to get on one knee… what was he doing?  
"Hermione" He started still on one knee "Since the day you came on the Hogwarts express and told me that I had dirt on my nose with that know-it-all voice you had…" he added with a grin.  
"But you did have dirt on your nose!" she added and laughed. Ron got red and she quickly regretted her laughter.  
"Well – that's not important right now is it?" he snapped back. Hermione looked quite offended and the muggles around them seemed to become interested in what was happening around them now. Maybe they heard the word "Hogwarts" or the fact that the bloke kneeling in front of his girlfriend had the guts to call her a "know-it-all" during a proposal but the thing that was interesting was how they both stood up facing each other yelling their hearts out. Hermione realized what Ron was trying to do the moment he stood up. He must have planned this for a long time and here they were, having another row on the day that were supposed to be one of the most romantic days in their history together.

He was fed up so he left the restaurant with a furious girlfriend just yelling and cursing his name. As she ran after him he disappeared back to their house. He knew it was a matter of seconds before Hermione would follow him so he started to run to a place in the forest next to the house he was certain that Hermione didn't know about. He heard her yell his name and thanked Merlin that she was wearing those red high heels so it slowed her down as she proceeded. He heard her black dress rip and she moaned and yelled after him again.  
Why did she always have to ruin the moments? Ron thought. He reached the top of the mountain he climbed. The sun was long gone and the only thing left on the sky was small traces of light. To be honest he wanted to run back and get her so make sure she was safe. She is always safe, she is a brilliant witch.  
Still, he couldn't be enough for her, never did he quite fulfill it. She would go back and go to sleep and the next day Ron would pack his bags and leave her forever.  
But oh, so deeply he loved her – it hurted to love her so intense.

.

.

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"Bloody hell Ron, you are the only one who makes me run in a forest in high heels. I'll curse you when we meet!" she mumbled and cursed to herself while she walked towards Ron. She knew exactly where he was because he always fled to the same place in the forest when they fought; Hermione had developed a really bad habit of looking at him to make sure he is okay. She climbed the mountain and saw a horrible sight that ripped her heart out. There he was, her Ron. Her annoying, row-loving, loyal and adorable Ron and she saw that he had been crying. She had never seen Ron cry since the death of Fred and that sight was a sight she never wanted to see again so as she felt sorry for him she couldn't help feeling a bit ill.  
"Ron?" she whispered and laid a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and immediately felt ashamed by his weakness.  
"Don't bother" she said when he was trying to clean up himself, especially around his eyes "my dress ripped and these red shoes aren't so red." She added. Ron laughed, it took a lot to make Ron laugh these days but Hermione knew that he had his weak spots.  
"I'm so sorry… and how did you know about this place." Ron said to her as she sat next to him. She said something about a spell and then gave him a weak smile. She was sure that he knew she was lying. Hermione made it perfectly clear that she would never ever confront Ron about the proposal attempt. So they sat still and listened to the forest making their sounds.

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.

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She sat in her black ripped dress with her arm next to him. His whole body felt cold except the part where her arm was pressed next to his. Forget about the muggle restaurant he thought, this was more them. It was odd, not perfect well almost horrible he admitted. Hermione looked stiff of cold now and Ron who felt that a minute longer on this mountain with the dark and uninviting forest around him was taking Hermiones defeated self as the perfect chance. He looked at her, she looked back and he took her hand. This was not the speech he had rehearsed so many days in front of the mirror and better like this he though, because that was shown to be a disaster.  
"Herm" He said looking at her. She nodded and didn't even bother to comment the nickname.  
"We always fight and its hard…" he started but Hermione interrupted him and said "Oh, Ron stop it! Don't say that you are going to leave me."  
"You really have to let me finish Hermione, it's hard enough as it is." He said coolly. Hermione looked interested by what he was going to say.  
"Where was I?"  
"We always fight" she said.  
"Yeah… well we always fight and it's hard but we are good like that. You know, honest and stuff." He said and feeling braver with every word he said.  
"And I would not want to be like that with no-other than you. I guess that what I'm trying to say is that when I'm mad I think of you and when I'm happy that's exactly what I do. I always think of you…" Hermione gave him all her love in just one look so this was the moment he though as the little light left on the sky was leaving towards the dark tops of the trees. She grabbed his hand and looked at him with a look that said "go on".

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Ron struggled with the words; she knew because this was how he looked whenever she asked him how he felt about her. It wasn't in his nature to talk feelings or be sensitive, and she knew because she had have first-hand experience. She wanted to help, to make him feel better about it but she knew that this was his moment.  
"Hermione, I love you. You know that, I love you deeply and I'm always afraid of losing you. So, I just wanted to say that it's you I see when I shut my eyes and you make me feel like I can make the strongest patronus in the world." She thought this was the sweetest thing Ron had ever said to her and squeezed his hand so he knew "Blimley, stronger than Harrys even." He added to let some tension go. She knew and she laughed. He continued  
"So, with these words I just wanted to ask you if you want to spend your life with me. How annoying I might be and even if I call you a know-it-all sometimes you have to know that I adore that with you. I'm just talking now aren't I? Overall, I want you to marry me so I could be even happier than I am now. I mean…if that would make you happy as well." Ron said and his words died out.

Oh, Ron you _adorable_ man.

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.

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"Damn it!" he though knowing that his pre-written speech was so much better. Hermione looked rather pleased however he added but what took her so long to answer. Maybe she wanted a classy way of saying no? He couldn't bear the thought of Hermione saying no to him. Wait - was that a tear in her left eye?  
"Yes Ron! Yes, I want to marry you! I want to live with you until my hair turns grey" she cried out and leaped to kiss him but Ron was sure that he had forgotten something very important. Still, her lips were to soft to keep his mind concentrating on tiny details.  
"The Ring!" he burst out after a while of kissing Hermione and she laughed. Clearly she forgot that part too.  
He dug his pockets and looked for the little ring Ginny had helped him pick out. As he found it he took Hermiones cold hand and put the ring on her ring finger as he made apologizes about the rocks size and the gold but Hermione looked at the ring and only said a sentence Ron never heard anybody say about his performance.

"It's perfect."

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They kissed in the cold until Ron took her hand and said that he would rather sit in front of the fire with her in his arms. She raised her wand and mumbled "lumos" and Ron raised his wand to follow her example. She thought.  
"I'll show you one thing, for once let me I'll outdo you." Ron said and smiled teasingly towards her  
"Take down your wand so I can show you. You have to understand how much I do love you." He added without a trace of redness or loss of words.  
She obeyed and he closed her eyes carefully with his free hand and whispered her name before he waved his wand in the icy air and yelled "Expecto Patronum." Hermione opened her eyes smiled expecting the Jack Russel Ron always produced when he was conjuning a patronus but this time it was different and so familiar.

"Is that…" she started and felt so chocked of the sight in the sky. It was beautiful and ran around them like a guardian.  
"I realized this a month ago when you know, I started to plan this proposal. I was sitting up here after another fight and I missed you so intensely yet I was furious. So he came, an otter, just like yours." He ended.

Hermione, top of her class knew that it was rare magic that was combined with intense love that made a patronous shift its original shape. Snapes did it for Lily and Tonks did it for Remus, but Rons doing it for Hermione... She knew that Ron loved her with all his force despite his thickness from time to time.

"And I love you too Ron, in every possible way" she added to his lost words.  
She took his hand in hers ands he could see that the patronous turned so bright at these words and her simple touch that the whole forest shifted from total darkness to a sea of light.

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**Chapter tease: II**  
_  
"Its normal Ron, they do it… we do it." She said sounding a lot like a pamphlet her mother gave her at the end of her 4th year in Hogwarts. She did the mistake of telling her mother about her new friend Krum and got sex education as response. "But when we do it, it's good." He said"Well, it's bloody brilliant." He added. Her mind wondered of to the more intimate times Ron and she spent in this same bed and on various places in this bedroom._

**So - Please please please let me know if im doing good or bad work! Its a little button down there and a few words from your fingers ;)  
Thank you! Read and Review**


	2. II: the New Era

A/N: I do not own the characters in this fiction, nor the original story. It's J.K's and J.K's alone. I'm just having some fun with them …

**RonHermione: Close your eyes and count to ten**

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"Dont, stop at one... keep counting to ten"  
"Two…"  
"Are you closing your eyes Hermione?"  
"Are you doubting me Ronald?"  
"Just close them I'm serious."

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II: **  
The New Era**

"Remember the time she stepped into our cabin and told us – well me that my nose was dirty. I'm sure glad that mum didn't get that stain of my nose, it's like it's meant to be" Ron said as grinned at his friend with the scar on the forehead. His friend gave him a supportive look and glared at the red-headed girl behind Ron who was laughing in absolute silence.  
"I don't know… about things meaning to be Ron. Isn't it save that I've had enough of Prophecies in my life." said Harry and Ginny couldn't control herself so she burst out in laughter.  
"Blimley Harry you have to stop joking about those stuff." Ron said looking dead serious and forgetting all about the proposal story he tried to tell Harry.  
"Age doest that to you" Harry added calmly and was now concentrating all his focus on Ginny who sent him blow kisses behind Rons back just to annoy the hell out of Ron.  
"Ginny, honestly I'm trying to talk to my best friend!" Ron yelled without looking back and at this Ginny whipped out her wand and piercing her brother's chest with it mumbling that she would hex the redness out of him if he dared to snap at her again. Ron yelled"OK!" and shoked her off and she left the room with the same furious steps she always left a room when one of her brothers were being unfair.

"My wife is really easy to tease right now and I don't know why..." Harry said with an ironic tone. There was obviously something that Harry and Ginny was going to tell him he guessed when they called him over this day. Ron didn't mind free food and had to admit that Ginny was getting rather good with her wand-cooking, maybe too good as she started to grow bigger since the last time he saw her.  
"Yeah, she's always been like that mate. I wouldn't dare to marry her but you've proven to have more guts that the most of us - where was I? Ah – well maybe we would get to know each other anyways but the stain on the…" said Ron forgetting all about the comment Harry just made. Harry gave Ron a creeping glare.  
"Ginny and I are going to have a baby ok? There, I said it." Harry clearly feeling relived and moments later when Ron didn't say a word he yelled  
"Ginny I said it and he is still alive, you can come back now." But Ron was still going cold inside.  
"Wait Ginny don't come back!" Ron yelled and saw Ginny's face appear and disappear. He knew Harry really wanted to see Ginnys safe face back in the kitchen by the stare towards the kitchen door that Harry had.  
He however didn't care and lowered his voice and gave Harry a what he felt was an authority glare and felt a huge struggle as he said

"You are actually doing more than snogging my little sister aren't you?"

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"Ron! That is really thick" she said while her laughter filled their bedroom. She was lying in his arms and listened to his story about the unpleasant visit at Harry and Ginny's and to his heartbeats.  
"Who wants to know that his baby sister are you know… doing it and especially with his best friend" Ron said.  
She knew he was extremely bothered by this fact that she didn't want to tell him that she knew about it two months ago and that they've been trying for a while after their wedding. But what Ron didn't know didn't hurt him she thought and Harry was actually her best friend as well. His secret was safe but Ginny might not be safe from Ron.  
"Its normal Ron, they do it… we do it." She said sounding a lot like a pamphlet her mother gave her at the end of her 4th year in Hogwarts. She did the mistake of telling her mother about her new friend Krum and got sex education as response.  
"But when we do it, it's good." He said "Well, it's bloody brilliant." He added. Her mind wondered of to the more intimate times Ron and she spent in this same bed and on various places in this bedroom. He gave the thought a second and said with a whisper  
"When Harry and Gi – she does it, it got to be horrible and wrong."  
"Why?" she said knowing this wouldn't take her anywhere. Ron sat up in the bed and turned to her with horror in his face. He was furious and overprotecting so she was honestly more aroused by this than she would like to admit. Maybe he realized what sex was?  
"He saw my sister _naked_."  
Yes, he realized.  
"Shut up Ron if you want to see me naked tonight" she said with the seducing voice she knew that Ron couldn't resist.

Ron who had been going on like an old radio the whole evening shut up in a second and kissed a giggling Hermione.

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"Good morning sleepy" Hermione said with a tray of scrambled eggs in her hands. Ron sat newly awake up in the bed and smiling towards Hermione when she gave him the tray. He knew she was going to work today and stay there all night but still she took the time to make him breakfast this special morning. He felt like he was a king this morning.  
"Was I that good yesterday?" Ron said with a smirk while shoving egg into his mouth. He knew that Hermione despite him for eating like a pig but he knew she would be scared if he didn't.  
"Ronald Billius Weasley…" she said sounding offended and leaned forward to kiss him gently on the forehead  
"You were amazing." And with that she left the room and the blown up ego of Ronald Weasley with his eggs.

The day couldn't be better he thought while he paraded in his underwear around the little house. He watched muggle TV, practiced on some spells what would be good to know for the Aurors and he even flew around on his broomstick in the back yard. It would halve been perfect if Hermione didn't scare the living daylight of him when she came into the bathroom while he was taking a bath at nine o clock.  
"You can't go around and use Alahomora charm when I'm taking a bath Herm!" he yelled and quickly grabbed his wand (No naughty thoughts there... his actual wand).  
"Oh Ron, I'm so sorry I shouldn't have done that shrinking charm on her belly. That would make it easier to tell you this."  
"Tell me what?" he said and getting more and more interested as Hermione threw him a towel and said  
"Get dressed, I tell you on the way."  
He did as he had been told while Hermione started to pack a lot of things in the same bag she carried around in the Horcrux days. Ron preferred to not be reminded of that time in his life.

They were standing in their kitchen that was cleaned into perfection by Ron. She was getting ready to apart but Ron had questions.  
"Well are you going to tell me why you storm into the bathroom and scaring me to almost hex you and then start to pack like you were going to leave. You are not leaving are you?" Ron said finishing the last words a bit worried.  
"I'm sorry about that – honestly, but Ginny is having the baby and Harry is petrified." She said quickly. Ron fell silent. She looked at her boyfriend and realized that he was taking action in his head but he looked stupefied as he stood.  
"Hermione!" he yelled"Let's go, let's go!" he added as he grabbed her hand and they went to St: Mungos.

"Another Weasley I see, well it's hard to tell you apart but not hard to say that if you go straight ahead and turn to the left you'll see the whole Weasley clan" said the receptionist with a bored voice. He slammed the table she was sitting behind as a thank you and ran with Hermione's hand in his. Hermione was running along and as they turned left at the end of the corridor he couldn't help but smile. It was really hard missing this huge clan of red-headed people. Bill, Charlie, Percy and George stood in a closen circle and mumbled words among each other and Mr. Weasley stood and hugged a happy Mrs. Weasley. Fleur held Vicorine up high and told the beautiful child that she was going to have a cousin. He knew that Hermione wanted to put it gently but hexing Ginny's belly was even too much for Ron.  
They said their hellos.  
"Better Harry with Ginny and some other prick" said George reasonably and gave Ron an assuring hand on his shoulder. George voice changed a bit while he said "But I can't help but say that you did a lousy job guarding her" with a smile of his face. Ron felt that this was the spirit of Fred talking and knew that he too was here today. They all fell silent when they heard Ginny scream at the tops of her lounges and she cursed Harry's name.

Seconds later a door slammed open and Harry appeared looking paler and happier than he'd ever seen him.  
"It's a boy. It's a boy and he has my hair and her eyes. Your eyes –" he said nodding his head towards Mrs. Weasley. This was probably it for his mother he though as she threw herself at Harry and hugged him tightly. His mother was in shock.  
"We think of calling him James after my father and Sirius after my godfather." Harry said looking towards Hermione now for some approval. She smiled and hugged him tightly.  
"Congratulations mate" he said and smiling warmly towards Harry.  
"Will you be godparents Ron, Hermione?" Harry said "Me and Ginny thinks that James deserves that" he added. Hermione kissed Harrys cheek and nodded. He couldn't help feeling so moved that he gave Harry a long hug to express his feelings without words.  
"That is probably the longest hug I've seen you give Harry" Hermione said laughing in pure joy.

He knew that both Hermione and Harry understood that this was the begining of a new era.

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"The boy was one of the cutest things I've ever seen, crying to much and all but cute" he said to Hermione. The time was almost five am but James Sirius Potter was celebrated wildly at the Burrows just as hard as Victorine had been celebrated. He had to admit that he was a bit drunk but the joy was straight from his heart. Hermione had insisted that they both needed some sleep after the fifth bottle of firewisky that Charlie opened. He was glad that she was reasonable when he wasn't. He was glad that he had been chosen to be a godfather and promised himself that he would love him as much as Sirius loved Harry but he was not going to be as reckless. He was glad over too many things right now.  
"James Sirius Potter, I think that was really sweet." Hermione said and looked at him. This morning he was a king with scrambled eggs and tonight he was a godfather with a life lesson.

She was slowly falling asleep, it had been a long night but Ron didn't sneak up from behind to hold her like he did when they were about to sleep. He sat straight up in their bed and was doing some serious thinking.  
"Yeah. I'd like that sometime." said Ron from the dark. She covered a sleepy yawn and said  
"Kids?"  
"Yeah, I'm a Weasley aren't I - I'm supposed to have more than I can afford." Remember that one?" Ron said bringing up the thought of Malfoy into their bed unaware that she was slowly falling asleep next to him. He came down to her level and took her in his arms.  
"Very funny Ron" She whispered with a sleepy voice, he had her in his arms so she was ready to fall asleep sleep.  
"Let's start now; we can have a plan of making eight kids in ten years." Ron said kissing her neck and laughed in the dark.  
"Good night Ron" with an awake voice and shoved him away from her.  
"Good night the future mother of my eight kids." he said and took her back to his warmth.  
"Again, very funny" she said and stayed close.

He heard the silent and deep breath of Hermione but he couldn't sleep. Harry had a baby the fact that it was with Ginny and he knew how babies were made was a long forgotten thing. The thing that Ron reacted to was that Harry was scared, pale but exited beyond imagination. If the boy-who-lived, his best friend seen and fought the fright of all wizards in huge battles over five times was seconds from panicking by a little kid Ronald Billius Weasley would be fine, wouldn't he? Ron felt the panic but as Hermione took a deep breath next to him he knew that he'd be ok.  
He had Hermione and she was bloody brilliant so with that in his mind he fell asleep next to the bushy mess a pillow away from him.

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_Chapter tease: III_

"You look beautiful Luna, you really do!" Ginny burst out and looking at her sun-tanned friend. She gave one of her more dreamy smiles and lowered her voice to a whisper and said  
"You should really see Hermione."  
"I did Luna" Ginny said now looking as dreamy as Luna "she was glowing like a veela"

_I know this wasn't so much Herm/Ron but it had do be written :)  
Leave me a comment and I'll write until my fingers bleed! And might I add that the favoirtes and alerts made me blush a little.  
Read and Review readers so I know that you are alive and not in my messy imagination. __Thank you!_


	3. III: The Marriage

**SwedishA/N:** J.K. You rock – these aren't mine but the laptop that they were written on is mine… well, no it isn't actually. I only own a coke can and a potion of imagination.  
P.S. I got a really good comment about spelling errors so I'm just letting you know that I am Swedish so if you spot any weird sentences or something please correct me, I need to learn god damnit!

**Ron/Hermione: Close your eyes and count to ten**

* * *

*  
"Three… Ron, are you still here?"  
"Yes, I'm fixing a thing. Don't look up and keep counting woman!"  
"Don't call me woman."  
"Why, that's what you are."  
"Git"

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III:  
**The Marriage**

Ron and Harry stood in a room in a church in central London. Hermione being a muggle born always pictured her dream wedding in this church every time she and her parents passed it by when they were getting groceries for the week. It was antique that much could Ron tell by looking at its smirk details. He felt at home here in some level, maybe it was the feeling of being in Hogwarts corridors that made it. Harry was all dressed and tried to help Ron with the suit. Ron felt ill and begged Harry for mercy when he gave him a hard punch in the arm.

"This is weird." He said and he pretty well knew that was the only words he had spoken to Harry this last hour. Harry felt an urge to slap him across the face;, he knew because he saw the look Hermione gave Draco in third year in his eyes. But Ron remembered Harrys wedding day at the Burrows and he wasn't all brave in Rons room that day either, Ron found that odd because it was Harry Potter. Facing Ginny was frightening yes but somehow it felt that Harry had done scarier things. Today he knew the thing Harry meant when he said "This isn't the same as casting spells you know... it feels horrible".

"I managed didn't I?" Harry said with a look at him. Yes, actually Harry did manage – it was Ginny who cried, turned red occasionally during the whole ceremony and almost hexed George for making the rings shrink. Well she would have done that if mother didn't hex him seconds earlier while dad repaired the damage and noted that his was the kind of things he did at the ministry. He had a odd feeling that it wasn't Hermione who was going to have a mental breakdown at this wedding but he wanted to be sure that he wouldn't either.

"She is well put together you know – I mean she always knows what to do." He finally said knowing this was what he really feared.

Harry smiled and said "Last time I spoke to her she almost cried over the table napkins"

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Four rooms from Ron and Harry three girls were giggling at a picture in the "Weekly Witch" that showed Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry in France for holidays. The plan was brilliant; they poly-juiced Hermione and Ron smiled at the cameraman while Ginny and Harry was covering their faces, all four sitting in a resturant with snails on their plates. This way they would not have to be as annoyed by the press as Harry and Ginny were at their wedding. Hermione gave Ginny a long hug and Luna one too who came all the way from Brazil to attend.

"I'll go and get dressed now, you should do the same." She said giving the two blue bridesmaid dresses a look. They grabbed their dressed, told her to yell if she needed help and left the room. Halfway during the process Hermione yelled "brush" and Luna came to her rescue. She quickly sent her away so she wouldn't see the dress she was hiding behind her body. Luna gave her a comment on her make-up that made her blush a little.  
"Something old, something new, something borrowed…" Hermione said thinking about the tiara that passed between the Weasleys as they got married.  
"Ginny, where is the tiara." She yelled.  
"It's over here, can I come in?" Ginny yelled from the other room. Hermione didn't want to give away the surprise but she needed that tiara.  
"Ok, but try to keep your eyes closed." She listened to the sound of Ginny running in her high heels and the door flung open.

The last thing Ginny did was keeping her eyes closed; they almost left her eyeballs of suprisement. Hermione was standing there in a white strapless dress that sat tight over her chest and let loose from the waist down. Her hair was treated like it had been done in the fourth years Yule Ball. The curls fell softly into each other and were glowing in the sun that came in from the window next to her head. The make-up was light and looked so natural on Hermione but it was when she smiled that she glowed.  
"I'm actually marrying your brother today." she said said with a little laughter at Ginnys stunned face and Ginny became so overwhelmed by this that she did the one thing that almost all of the Weasleys tried to avoid. She cried.

"You look like – it's easy to say that Ron scored better with you than he did with his O.W.L.s" Ginny said while putting the tiara on Hermiones head just in the place she had it on the day she married Harry. Hermione laughed at this comment and told Ginny to tell the priest downstairs that it was ten minutes left. she let some air out of her lungs and felt relived. At least she was pretty enough to stun Ginny a bit and Ginny was beauty herself.

What she didn't know was as Ginny ran down the stairs she bumped into a dressed Luna.  
"You look beautiful Luna, you really do!" Ginny burst out and looking at her sun-tanned friend. She gave one of her more dreamy smiles and lowered her voice to a whisper and said  
"You should really see Hermione."  
"I did Luna" Ginny said now looking as dreamy as Luna "she was glowing like a veela"

.

.

.

"How in Merlin could you forget that?" Neville yelled while trying to get the mud out of his fingernails. The Hogwarts teacher was going to be the groom with Harry so he was proper dressed and looked happier than both Harry and himself remembered him as.  
"I don't know. It slipped my mind, I was so focused on everything else and it just – what am I going to do!" Ron yelled and gave both Neville and Harry a pleading look. They were talking – no, yelling about the wedding vows that Ron had forgotten to write.

"Just pull a proposal." Harry said. Neville gave Harry a questioning look so Harry told him everything about the improvised proposal Ron pulled off in the forest to a very amused and impressed Neville.  
"I can't do that again. I was lucky. That was pure luck Harry, she won't leave me at the altar right?" he said in the edge of vomiting when he thought of Hermione leaving him alone at the altar in front of all their families.  
"She didn't leave you so far." said Neville assuring and was practically killed by Rons glare.  
"Ronald! It's time" said his mother from the other side of the door.  
Ron walked down the stairs preparing for the grand failure of his life with his two mates behind him telling him that it was going to be more than fine.  
"It's not going to be brilliant Neville; I can taste disaster from two miles away."

.

.

.

This was not homework, it was far worse. She was basically going to pour out her heart in front of her whole family and his family. The size of his family didn't south her a bit.  
She looked out the door and saw Ron standing in the end of the hall. He wore a black suit and his bow matched the color of his eyes and the rose he had in attached to the jacket. He looked like he was mumbling words and gave Harry a pleading stir. All the people she knew and grew to love were in the church but she realized that the decision of keeping it small didn't turn out to be so small after all. Everyone familiar from Hargid ("Im sorry Hagrid but Grauwp can't be fitted into a church bench and to be honest Ron seems a bit jealous") to little Teddy Lupin who came with his grandmother Andromeda to the more unexpected such as Hanna Abbot who dated Neville and Lunas very odd boyfriend were here to see her and Ron get married. The white fabric between the church benches looked so softly against the blue roses that Ron conjured. Hermione was holding his most successful bouquet in her hand and she had to admit that they were just as blue as his eyes were.

"Something _blue_…" she said to herself and smiled while remembering the conversation they had about these muggle things two months ago. Ron had produced a flawless blue rose and said that she didn't need to worry and continued to do so every morning from then. It had been the sweetest thing and he countined to do so everyday so that she would never worry.

No, she though – she had to study the whole speech she had written down weeks ago but it only went a minute before she saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley walk to their seats and then her own mother in the hands of Neville. Harry stood next to Ron and his eyes met her eye. She shut the door in panic again. Nobody was going to see her. When she got the gut to open the door again Luna was walking towards Ron and the priest. This was the moment she though, just like they had rehearsed so many times. Her father appeared behind her, fully dressed and gave her a perfect dental smile.

"My little witch, it's time to get married."  
"I know daddy, but I'm scared." She felt so childish when these words left her mouth.  
"Everyone is scared. But it's like braces. The result is beautiful." with those words she grabbed her father's arm and when the doors flung open they revealed a white-dressed and frightened Hermione with only one though in her mind.  
"I forgot to study."

.

.

.

Ron had seen Hermione when she was happy, chocked, thinking, angry, crying and hurt, tortured, in love, newly awoken, fully dressed, fully sweaty and naked and even in the more bizarre form of a cat and when she was turned into stone. He had seen her in so many ways, states and ages you can see a person but when she grabbed his hand and smiled he thought this was the most beautiful way he had ever seen her in. It was not the dress, the make-up or the hair. It was the glow she seemed to have but she seemed nervous.  
"I love you" he mimed to her so that she would know.  
She returned his words.

.

.

.

The priest finished his speech about love in all sorts of conditions. Her whole family was sitting to her right and she saw her mother sobbing with Mrs Weasley as they both shoot smiles and tiny waves towards them. The flaming family of Weasleys were sitting and trying to control Teddy Lupin who pulled Victorines hair and little James Sirius Potter who seemed to follow Teddys example. She couldn't picture her wedding more perfect but then she looked at Ron. He was in his black suit and he looked so adorable in his nervousness. Ron was very afraid of embarrassing himself right now but he couldn't be more wrong. She was the one who didn't study her vowels well enough.

"And you may speak now Miss Granger." The first thing that hit her was that this was probably the last time she was going to be called miss Granger and then that she had to speak.

"Ron." She started buying herself some time as Ron grabbed her hands. Hermione Weasley, _Weasley._

"I have to be honest with you - that is what relationships are built at." She said and Ron suddenly looked petrified. Why in earths name would he look like that?

.

.

.

"This is it, she is leaving me." He though and felt how his hands were getting sweaty but he didn't let go of hers. He didn't dare to see what would happen if he did.

"I've always done my work flawless and sometimes your work to." The church room laughed at this, especially Harry who understood more than well and she continued.  
"But this time I can't honestly say that I knew I did a good work. There are no books to tell you how to tell someone you love that they are everything to them and they are no spells that I can do to make you feel everything that I'm feeling for you in this moment."  
Obviously the muggles in this room took this as a metaphor not understanding that this was a magical wedding he though. Hermione was silent a time, some time too long and that's when he realized – Hermione Jane Granger hadn't done this homework. This was straight from her head – no if it was from her head she would be fully controlled, this was from her heart.

"I can't explain this in words, in practice or with the weight of the world. Not everything is easy for me you know, but you make the hard things feel less hard. The good things feel much better. The endless things feel so short and the word forever seem like a possibility. That's why I love you, because with you I don't have to know. I just am."

His body got heated up at her last words. She _never_ stopped to amaze him.

.

.

.

"You may speak Mr. Weasley" Said the priest. Ron glared at his father at this before he realized that it was him that the priest was talking about.  
"Right… Hermione" Ron said looking at her. Clearly, he hadn't written anything down either.  
"I did like I always do, I saved my work until last minute but this time you can't help me to write it, not even if I begged you." Ron smiled at this looking very comfortably with his next words  
"But it's better this way honestly because I'm not good with words on paper. I'm just trying to find a romantic say to tell you that I want to spend my whole life with you, protect you and see you in our children. I want to do all the boring and everyday things with you and all the special and amazing things too because there isn't a moment I wouldn't like to spend with you. I'm trying to make these words sound so romantic that you realize how much I would do for you and…"

Ron felt silent because her eyes were tear-filled and Ron wanted to comfort her like he always wanted when she was sad but this wasn't it.  
She gave him a nod to tell him that she was okay and he shouldn't worry. He understood and continued to have his little speech.

"I'm hoping that despite the lack of comparing you to a flower because well – you are more beautiful than all the flowers in the world, even those blue roses." He said and giving her bouquet a wink before he continued  
"…or telling you about the moment that I realized that I was in love with you because I don't like to talk about that horrible Yule Ball" He paused again and lowered his voice a little.  
"I'm not even going to tell you about the first kiss because that really was off-guard. What I'm trying to do here, even if I fail at it is to tell you that I love you. I love you so much its making me angry, jealous and frustrated at times but it do make me feel like a king that have gotten more riches than he could ever imagine." He fell silent and looked at Hermione who cried and squeezed his hands as a response.

They looked each other so deep in the eyes that they didn't see Percy and Bill tear-filled eyes. Charlie was manly enough to give his brothers a comforting hug and George was so amazed that Ron had it in him to actually be romantic and sensitive. Neville was sobbing and assured a tear-filled Harry that his running nose was a cold related issue. Fleur, Ginny and Luna the two mothers were literally crying and the children of these mothers held their hands and tried to comfort them. But if these people were crying it was nothing to what Hagrid did in the seat at the back, he howled like an wounded dog and blew his nose loudly until Andromeda told him to be silent while her eyes twinkled and then in the absolute silence of the sobbing, crying and kids running they said their "I do" and seconds after that a tiny whisper filled the room and it said "That's my son." and the fathers looked at each other equally proud of their kids.

"You may kiss your wife" the priest said and Ron grabbed Hermione so tightly towards him that she felt that he had missed her an endless amount but before he leaned in to kiss her she whispered.

"I may kiss my prince."

* * *

_Chapter tease: IV_

"Weren't you going to get in the shower Ron?" Hermione barley whispered.  
"Yeah, I was but you kissed me" he said between the kisses that went lower and lower her neckline. Hermione hands were now playing with his hair as he slowly took her to the bed in the middle of the rose filled room.

_So, there it goes! Married, and oh - they deserv it!_  
Reviews are **always** as loved by me as Ron/Hermione fics are by you. _Thank you for reading this one too. Until we meet again ;)_


	4. IV: The lovemaking

**SwedishA/N**: I don't own you Hermione and not you either Ron. J.K does that, but I do own this honeymoon trip don't I? People are very sexual creatures so this is all the heat I'm giving you even though it feels odd writing about them in this way. ENJOY!

And do correct my language!

**Ron/Hermione: Close your eyes and count to ten**

* * *

*  
"Four…?"  
"Yes?"  
"Four!"

* * *

IV:  
**The Lovemaking**

Hermione stood in a hotel shower in Australia and her hair was sticking to her face as the hot water was washing yesterday away. This was the same room that Ron and she spent two weeks in while doing their best to find Hermione's parents. Now, as their honeymoon was about to end after a month of staying in this hotel she couldn't help but feel a bit sad. This time with Ron was neither romantic nor fantastic; it was simple, fun and enjoyable. They ate breakfast in bed, lunches in the city and late dinners by the beach with the stars over their head. She was enjoying herself, probably more than Ron and his fragile skin did. She didn't want to admit it to Ron but Ron was looking his best this months with the burned and excessive freckels on the most interesting parts of his body.

When her bare feet touched the bathroom tile she couldn't help but feel a shiver and a sudden affection for this bathroom. The blue rose that Ron always produced was sitting in a lonely vase they picked up from the nearby market. It made the whole bathroom special where it sat carefully on the bathroom sink. She looked at the delicate flower and saw that he left it there for her before she took the shower, it was one of the many roses she've been given. Right above the bathroom sink a damp mirror showed a smiling Hermione drawing a heart with her wrinkled fingers.

"Oi – are you done yet?"  
"In a minute" she said wrapping the towel closer around her body and dragged her fingers across the mirror leaving the heart unfinished.

.

.

.

Hermione gave him a good morning kiss and he tasted the mint. He kissed her back wildly and pushed her towards the wall. She returned the passion and he took off his t-shirt while her hands were playing across his back. He kissed her neck just below her ears as he knew she liked and she moaned.  
"Weren't you going to get in the shower Ron?" Hermione barley whispered.  
"Yeah, I was but you kissed me" he said between the kisses that went lower and lower her neckline. Hermione hands were now playing with his hair as he slowly took her to the bed in the middle of the rose filled room. "Shouldn't we protect – " she started but ended her sentence with a moan that turned Ron on even more. When they were at the end of the bed Hermiones towel fell off with Rons pants and the rest is history.

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They spent their last day in Australia in bed; the real truth behind this was not that they wanted to spend their last day snogging wildly even though she didn't mind but it was that Ron had severe burns on his back from falling asleep under the sun previously. He didn't mind laying in bed either with both breakfast, lunch and dinner served by the hotel and Ron who was getting used to muggle money was paying everything he was able to pay. It wasn't reasonable really but his argument for paying everything you were able to pay was that the Auror salary had to go somewhere. If it was wrong to feel like a princess she wanted nothing more than to be wrong for once in her life.

They lay on top of the bed while eating strawberries in their bathing suits. The windows were open so the warm night wind filled their room. It was a cloudy night so there weren't stars in sight but she couldn't care less as she was laying in bed with Ron in silence.

"Let's play a game" Ron said. Hermione finished her strawberry before she said

"What kind of game?"  
"Well… We ask questions and then the one who refuses to answer will have to give the winner something."  
"So what do I get when I win?" she said with a smirk. Ron laughed at her and told her to see.

"Anything you want, but I'll start." Ron said and looked deeply into her eyes. She was quite sure that he just invented this game to ask her something.  
"On a scale of one to ten – how good was our _first_ time in this hotel." She couldn't help but blush. Obviously he'd think about this in his silence and who could blame him, even she did it. This was the same room that she had lost her virginity to Ron and as Hermione assumed Ron had lost his to her.  
"Ron, that's not a shy question to ask and if you have to know it is was a four."  
"We lost shy when we got married Hermione" Ron said with a know-it-all voice "and four was kind of low, don't you think."

Hermione thought secretly that it was kind of high. If she didn't want to spare Rons feelings she would easily tell the truth – it was a bloody zero from beginning and finished at a two at the end.

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Ron remembered that night clearly. They had failed yet another day to find Hermiones parents. Hermione was getting angry at herself now and he did his best to comfort her but she was not in the mood. So they stood in this room that they had been living in the last five days and yelled their hearts out. Everything that was bothering them from the first time they met each other to today was being yelled. That's how they do, they fight it out, shed the tears, fight some more and then kiss and make up to make it able to move on. As they were finished about yelling about fifth year they moved on to sixth year and Lavendel Brown was getting a full rant by Hermione. He was getting madder and yelled about Krum being the same species of the hideous troll that tried to kill Hermione in first grade.  
"It's win-_gar-_dium levi-_o-_sa, not wingardium leviosa" he said with a squeaky voice that supposed to be Hermione. And they were at it again. When he started to talk about Gyllenroy Idiot she had leaped in to kiss him, probably to shut him up. It worked and it was so wonderful that both Krum and Gyllenroy were leaving his mind. He felt her rage rushing through his body and responded it with furious passion. Moments later they were in the bed and experimenting their way as they both were new at this kind of things. After a lot of touching and kissing, biting and scratching from them both because obviously they both still felt angry they came to the point where they had to protect themselves. It was awkward he had to admit even though Hermione seemed to know what she was doing most of the times but it worked and she didn't quite enjoy the experience as much as he did by the look of her tortured expressions and with that it was over quickly. It was definitely a six of ten he though when he was finished and kissed Hermione on the cheek before rolling over and fell asleep.

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"Maybe a five then… My go. This one is easy – did you find Lavendel Brown hot?"

"That's low Hermione. I surrender."

"Fine, I want my prize. You told me I could get anything I want"

"And that is? Don't tell me – It's a book."

"Aren't you a funny one Ron? It's a nice little kiss or carrying down my luggage tomorrow morning".

"Well, how about both?"

"You can't use your wand Ron, there are muggles here!"

"Fine, come here and I'll give you the kiss of a lifetime."

"I regret my request. I want you to take my luggage down."

"Blimley – well then the kiss comes for free."

He kissed her just like he kissed her in the mornings, when she was mad and before bed but every time it felt like the first time. He still felt the suprise in the sensation her lips gave him and he couldn't stop the desire of wanting more even though he would be able to kiss her his whole life.

This was what being in love felt like she guessed. Nothing matters next to him, it's just him.  
They curled closely together in their bed and kissed each other good night before they fell asleep, reality was kicking in tomorrow but just for this night they were no trouble in paradise.

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_

* * *

Chapter tease :_ V

Ron didn't bend this time like he did when they argued about the sofa, the channels on the television, the dinner, the night lamps or even the volume of his breathing. He was fed up by it all, by Hermione, by his life and definitely by himself for being a failure.

.

.

"Idiot." Hermione yelled in the living room despite the fact that nobody was there to hear it. So she cried, like she did most of the times nowadays. This marriage was failure since the day they came back to live their lives.

_Ohnoo, what is happening to Ron and Hermione :(? This one was a short one, but I liked this chapter and can't wait to finish the next one. Read and Review :) and thank you for reading this one too. _


	5. V: The Rose

**Swedish A/N:** So, almost half way through the life of Ron and Herm who are owned by our dearest J.K Rowling. However these little scenes are mine. Thank you for the comments on the last chapter, as usual I will beg you to correct my English so it will look like all of yours. Longest chapter so far but a sick-day from school made me productive ;) Happy reading!

*  
**Ron/Hermione : Close your eyes and count to ten  


* * *

***  
"Five, si- "  
"Slowly Hermione!"  
"But I'm getting bored."  
*

* * *

V:  
**The Rose**

Ron couldn't take it anymore; he sat in the forest next to their house. The last months after the honeymoon were a total irritation. He and Hermione fought for breakfast, smiled for lunch and she usually cried during dinner and they both yelled for desert. He was hating it; not the fact that she was yelling, that part he could manage easily but the part of not making her happy enough. The wind blew on his face and the lump in his neck that was uninvited started to grow. He couldn't help to think that he had a tough time at work, Harry was promoted to Head Auror and even if it wasn't his ambition to be Head Auror his acchivments in the office didn't get the credit they deserved. As if work wasn't enough Harry had knocked up his sister months before the wedding and they told Ron and Hermione that another Potter was coming right after they returned from Australia. These shrinking spells had to be banned he thought but Ginnys excuse was that she wanted to look pretty at the wedding and Harry didn't want to steal the light away.

The snow fell on the ground and Ron suddenly got reminded of the fact that it was Christmas Eve and why they were fighting. Tomorrow was their first Christmas day as newlyweds and Hermione wanted to spend it at her parents who were going to invite all her relatives, the fight brooke loose when Rons biggest desire was to spend it at the Burrows with his family.  
"You haven't seen them since the wedding. I saw your mother two weeks ago and your father yesterday at work!" was her argument but Ron didn't bend this time like he did when they argued about the sofa, the channels on the television, the dinner, the night lamps or even the volume of his breathing. He was fed up by it all, by Hermione, by his life and definitely by himself for being a failure.

.

.

.

"Idiot" Hermione yelled in the living room despite the fact that nobody was there to hear it. So she cried, like she did most of the times nowadays. This marriage was failure since the day they came back to live their lives. She couldn't sleep and the constant fighting made her fill ill all the time. It got to the point that after going to bed fighting she got up early in the mornings to literally puke. Ron found new ways to irritate and annoy her. He was stupid enough to leave spoons in the dishes because his wand-technique didn't cover the washing of them, he always stole the remote to look at the worst shows on TV and he always burnt the food when he knew that she couldn't stand the thought of eating something black. Yes, maybe it was silly but he did it anyways and she got so pissed off that it wasn't even funny.

So she yelled and he yelled, she cried and he left, always on the same way. Her fear of being left mixed with him actually leaving tore her insides apart. He always came back; that much she knew but it hurted her still, it brought back feelings of the dark times that she didn't want to thing much about if she could.  
It took some time before she realized that this was actually silly things to be annoyed by or even more be left for and realized that the problem was inside of her – well not the problem really but the reason.

She looked at the blue rose on the living room table. He left it there as a reminder that he was going to come back, even if he left. It was sad really, he used to give her one in the mornings but nowadays they came after they fought. Waking up became as natural to do as fighting. She though long about this and started to cry.

Ron closed his eyes only to see Hermione smiling upon him, the normal, supportive and loving wife. When he opened them he remembered the real Hermione who was acting weird and hormonal and it was annoying and he was angry and frustrated because whatever he did it wasn't enough. She could be such a Ginny sometimes.

He started to count on his fingers and it struck him.  
_Oh, damnit.  
_He ran in the dark forest to his little house where he knew Hermione was going to sit and cry. His heart leaped just at the thought of his new discovery and a minute later he stood stupidly and banged on the door yelling his wifes name.  
"What is it" she snapped as she opened the door. He pulled her out to the grass where he was standing and then leaped towards her hugging her tightly and kissed her all over her face and saying time after time that he was sorry for not seeing it earlier.  
"So you finally got it" Hermione said now smiling behind her tears. He knew that she was relived and he understood it all now.  
"Yes, but I don't understand why you have to be so late on telling me" He said.  
"Its accent magic, you can't tell before it becomes clear. It's a jinx if you do" said Hermione with the familiar know-it-all voice Ron hated and loved at the same time.  
"So I'm going to have a baby with you" He said not understanding his incredible luck.  
Everything made sense now, the morning in Australia before the shower, the fights, the crying and the secretly puking in the bathroom she didn't think he knew about.  
"A daughter" Hermione said and they hugged so tightly in the snow that Christmas eve. The bells rang twelve times out to the darkness where they stood from the miniature church in the living room and he knew that this was the best Christmas present he'd ever gotten by far.

.

.

.

"Here he is!" said Harry holding a little baby boy in his arms while little James was busy hugging Ron and laughing loud as he tickled him.  
"He is adorable Harry! Can I hold him while you make some tea for us? My magic isn't what it used to be" she said and Harry laid the tender baby boy who was only a couple days old in her arms. She was feeling swollen and tender and it got to the extent that she had to lie in bed most of the times. Ron did a wonderful job taking care of her but because of a very dramatic night he missed the hospital trip to hear Ginny curse Harrys name again. Ron looked at the baby she held and smiled as widely as he could.  
"That little thing looks just like you without that scar" Ron said pointing stupidly at the baby forehead and then at Harrys scar. Like he forgot that he even had one. Harry grinned and stepped in to the house into the kitchen. James had already been at the kitchen and was slowly moving his destruction to the living room. She sat on a chair still holding and rocking the little baby and Ron moved to the stowe to prepare tea.

The baby was beautiful she though and he looked so calm while he was sleeping. She felt her maternal instinct rise and her own baby kicked against her stomach.  
"Yeah, sorry about that – _reparo – _It seems like he is taking after the Weasley twins." Harry said looking at the broken cups on the table.  
"But Molly says that it could be Ginnys rebel genes as well. Don't ruin Uncle Ron and aunt Hermiones home James!" he added but Harry got a loud laughter and a broken vase as an answer.  
"Don't mind that mate, have some tea" Ron said and served tea to both Harry and her. Harry seemed so stressed out by the fact that little James was demolishing his friends house.  
"How's Ginny?" she asked to make him think of other things.  
"Oh, yeah. She is fine – I mean she just had a baby but she is fine" Harry said. A loud bang interrupted them and a loud hurt cry filled the living room. Harrys instincts were quicker than she remembered them from the dark days. He stood up with the familiar panic and helpless look in his eyes, gripped his wand tightly as if going to battle and ran into the living room to save his son.

Harry carried in little James who were silently sobbing and holding his knee. It was clear that Harry was afraid of losing James because he wasn't careful enough, that was how Ron always saw Harry. He would always save everyone around him and blamed himself and no-one else if something went wrong.  
"He just tripped over a stack of Hermiones books in the living room – or I assume its Hermiones. He is fine, just fine." Harry said with half relive and half amusement to assure both Ron and Hermione that his elder son was okay. His younger son was still asleep close to Hermiones heart.  
"Kids do that, Teddy used to trip over his own legs when he ran around here that Easter a while ago. Noting to worry about really – they often learn from their mistakes." He said to try to calm Harry down.  
"Harry" Hermione said looking dead serious at Harry like he was feeling ill. They had a way of talking to each other without words he thought, maybe Hermione knew legimens but he seriously doubted that she would use it on Harry or himself.  
"I know what you are going to say Herm, Ginny already told me the same thing so save it." Harry cried out.  
"Maybe I should tell you again then. It's okay now." Hermione said and he couldn't help but see the fire in her eyes. Harry seemed to surrender. The room felt silent expect the silent sobbing from little James.

He watched his best friend staring at the new born while holding James Sirius closely and felt that the silence had to be broken.  
"What are you naming him Harry? You already used James and Sirius up, maybe you should call him Severus Snape?" he said smiling.  
"Ron!" Hermione whispered to not wake up the baby.  
"Actually…" Harry said and grinning towards him and then to Hermione "That is exactly what we are going to do"  
"You have to be kidding?" he said looking at the little baby in Hermiones arms. He didn't look as pale or creepy as Severus Snape did the days he lived to torture them.  
"Albus Severus Potter. Named after the two bravest men I was honored to meet."  
When Harry finished the sentence the baby woke up as he had heard his father saying his name and started to cry wildly.  
"He has your eyes Harry. Her eyes – oh, Professor Snape would _love_ that" Hermione burst out in the widest smile he had seen for weeks and he even saw the tears in her eyes as she finished her sentence. Her smile and the cries from the baby gave him mixed feelings.  
"It's a sign mate, but with great names comes great responsibilities so I hope he inherits the Princes talent in potions because his father sure didn't have any"

"RON!"  
But both Harry and Hermione laughed, James did too not knowing why, even Ron laughed at his one joke. The only sad face in that kitchen was Albus crying after his mother.  
"I better be going" Harry said with a concerned look and with his both boys in his arms he left his two best friends demolished home.

.

.

.

She felt so embarrassed when she stood in a puddle of water at the hallway in Andromedas house. Teddy was having a birthday party so they were all there to celebrate him; she was just going to thank Andromeda for having them over before they went to the car. During the day the party was a delight from the same environment she was used too. People were pleased to see her out of her bed but mostly she was pleased to see people. Although she sat put in the same place most of the time she had been complaining silently to Ron and he told her that she didn't need to stay here, they could go home to their bed but Ron was bored of the house she knew. Still, she regrets the choice now when she thought that she was so close to home. So there she stood in a puddle in front of Andormeda who was getting so excited that she yelled high-pitched so everybody could come and witness the scene. Ron came rushing from the car just in time to be the first victim of her crushing grip.

"My wife is having our baby!" he yelled but clearly he didn't do anything rather than stand frozen in front of the growing mass  
"WELL TAKE ME TO THE HOSPITAL SO I CAN HAVE IT!" she yelled angrily and Ron took action.  
They needed to go home to get her beamed bag and then to the nearest muggle hospital so her relatives could come and visit and she felt the extreme pain again. Ron insisted on St: Mungos but she was a muggle born, this was how it was supposed to go. She got carried to the car by Ron and Harry and Ron told Harry to sit next to her as he drove them from all the people that waved from Teddys birthday party.  
"Ron we need to – "but the pain took over and she yelled filling the car with her pain.  
"Don't worry Herm, I have everything." He said as calmly he could but pushing the pedal harder at these words. He'd just passed his test but she was sure that he was going to lose it in this speed. To her surprise he had the beamed bag on the seat next to him, the map of nearest muggle hospitals in the London area and the pink blanket she had knitted for the baby girl just as she knitted the elf clothes. A wave of affection ran through her veins towards Ron.  
"Sacred Rose is 10 minutes from here." He said as calmly as he managed but she heard the panic in his voice.  
She felt another contraction and gripped Harrys arm causing him less than a fraction of her pain.  
"Hermione – "  
"IM HAVING A BABY HARRY! YOU TRY TO HAVE ONE"

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.

.

"Good luck Ron. First time is always the worst" was everything Harry said and gave him a supportive hug. He felt his heart beat as he followed the green-dressed man into the room were Hermione was currently giving birth to his daughter. She yelled to everyone who dared to tell her to push and her hair was getting bushier than normal. He couldn't help it but smiled nervously as he approached his wife. He grabbed her hand and told her that everything was going to be over soon. He had a strange feeling that this was not a good thing to say as Hermione started to yell at him as well. The nurses said something that he caught as "sea-suction" and he felt the panic. These muggle doctors were going to take her down to the sea and suck the kid out of her or something that was as weird as that.  
"Hermione, I know you are having a baby right now but what are they going to with you." He said with panic in his voice. She dug her nails into his hand while she was screaming and he smiled a stern smile when he really wanted to scream his lungs out.  
"They will drug me down, cut me open" she yelled again "and take out your stubborn daughter Ronald."

He felt ill, he felt the panic rising and he felt all the horrible things a human can feel at once. She was screaming and squeezed his hand harder and he wanted to end it still he hoped that his little girl was doing ok.  
"I'm sorry but you have to leave now" A old nurse with blond, dirty hair said. How dare she.  
"I'm her husband" he said "That is my wife and my daughter in there and what are you doing to her right now muggle?" he said while the nurse was making Hermione breath into a thing that made her sleepy. He had to admit that they were far more muggle inventions that he hadn't been able to learn and regretted wildly that he didn't take the muggle course at Hogwarts.  
"Excuse me? I'm sorry but we have to take her to the OR. There are vending machines and coffe if – " the same annoying nurse told him. (Vendin machines?)  
"I don't care about coffe. I want to stay with my wife, what part of that don't you understand. Stay or wife?" He yelled loudly while Hermione was dozing off.  
"Ron, it's okay, I'll be fine. Even If I can't see you I know that you will be there" And with those words Hermione fell asleep.

.

.

.

He stood there; in the OR he was forbidden to be in while those muggle healers cut open his wife. Hermione knew that he would understand her little message. So he stood there under the invisibility cloak that Harry never went without in the room he had been forbidden to stay in  
("Why do you carry this thing around mate" "That doesn't matter now, does it. She knew and now do you, don't tell Ginny and go! You'll miss it." "Yeah, but the wife will force me to talk to you about it later" "Just Go Ron!").  
They actually put a knife on her belly to get the baby out – yes, it had to be the most disgusting thing he'd ever seen and he fought the urge to stun them all and apart Hermione to St: Mungos. The only thing that kept him sane at this moment was the fact that Harry assured him that this was normal and Hermione was much too clever to be a part of something she didn't know anything about. Hermione didn't feel the pain in her calm sleep and minutes went when finally he heard a baby scream. It filled him with an new found of joy.  
There she was, a red-headed little girl covered in goo that was screaming and screaming. She was hands down the weirdest but cutest thing he'd ever seen.  
"They both made it and that girl is health herself" the muggle healer said as he smiled towards the baby.  
"She'll be a handful" the old nurse with the dirty blond hair said to his daughter who kept screaming and with those words he snuck out the OR.

.

.

.

She opened her eyes and saw one color only. It was blue – Ron blue. Was she staring into his eyes? Slowly she opened her eyes and saw the blue rose on the bedside table. She felt safe as she found that single blue rose among the other masses of flowers she had gotten. This was not heaven she realized as she felt pain rushing through her body. The room was bathing in sunlight and everything was white and heaven like. Where was she? She turned her head slowly to look at the window on the other side. But it was not the window she saw, it was Ron who was sitting with a tiny baby girl in his arms. He looked at the baby with eyes filled with love and she thought that it was a dream now that Ron was silently singing to the baby. He looked up and their eyes met.  
"Good morning, they said that you would wake up now. How are you feeling?" he said softly and walking towards her with the little baby in his arms.  
"I'm feeling fine." She lied and his lips met hers in a little kiss. "Can I hold her?" she added. Ron nodded and gave her the baby that was carefully wrapped in a Sacret Rose hospital blanket. She knew that she loved her when she was in her stomach but she realized that she loved her so much more when she was in her arms.  
"What should we name her?" Ron asked "I mean those name we had to choose between didn't feel right." He added.

She looked at her daughter trying to name her, the little baby opened her eyes and they were warm blue just like Rons.  
By that she knew that her name was always going to be this. It was so obvious and the signs had been there from the start.

"This is our little Rose."

.

.

.

* * *

_Chapter tease:_

"Hermione?"  
"Hermione?"  
"Hermione!"  
"Oh, in here Ron." She shouted but the last thing she wanted to see was his face right now, especially in this state.

_one plus one became three. There you have her, the little handful Rose. Thank you for all the helpful reviews I've reccived and im doing my best to give this story some justice and bright ideas. Working like crazy on it so I hope that the Chapters will go on in this speed. Readers are a writers inspiration, reviews are a writers fuel.  
Thanks for reading this one too … until we meet again ;)_


	6. VI: The fights, the work and changes

**SWEDISH A/N:** I do not own the HP world or anything that's in it. That's J.k.s I do hope that I own something that brilliant someday in the future… someday .  
This chap is a bit lame but it had to be written and because its Ron and Herm it's adorable in any form.

**Ron/Hermione: Close your eyes and count to ten**

* * *

*  
"Six!"

"..."

"Well aren't you commenting"

"This is more of a conversation for you than counting isn't it?"

"No…"

"..."

"Ronald?"

* * *

VI:  
**The fights, the work and changes**

"Fine, but don't mind coming back into this bedroom!" Hermione yelled and shut the bedroom door in front of his face. He yawned. It was his decision to quit the Auror department and work along his brother, it was his future. He gripped his wand and although he knew that Hermione would lock the door to an extent that Alahomora didn't work he gave it a try. He was right and the door remained shut.  
"Rose is crying" he tried in an attempt to make her open the door to attend her baby.

"I have a Walkie talkie and a charm put on her crib Ronald, what kind of witch do you take me for?" Hermione answered viciously from the other side of the door.  
Damn those muggle things he though. While he was walking towards Roses crib he couldn't help but think of why they chose this house. It too had been a fought between minds and of course endless amount of yelling. He didn't tell her his main reason was the forest. He saw his kids growing up next to a forest even before he moved in with Hermione but he didn't tell her that he was planning babies with her subconsciously. Personally he knew that she was fed up with forest living after a year in Perkins tent. He arrived to the sleeping girls crib, Rose was peacefully calm. He adored the tiny little arms, legs and fingers who gripped his pinky when he approached her hand. When she opened her eyes he saw Hermiones energic eyes but in his deep blue shade but now when she was sleeping she looked like an exact replica of one of Ginnys baby photos. Rose had turned one year old a couple of weeks ago and Ginny and Harry were proud godparents. Rose had even made the cake explode all over the room at her birthday but when Hermione was getting busy yelling at George who didn't understand Ron realized that this was her magic. Who can say that their offspring, their daughter posses that kind of magic already at her first birthday. It had to be Hermiones genes he thought but couldn't mind thinking that he had contributed to something so beautiful as the little baby Rose.

.

.

.

"Good morning _you_ and good morning to you my little Rose" Ron said with a smile at Roses name. She came down carrying her but all the sudden she eager to be with her daddy who was making silly facer towards her. She sat down and hid behind "the daily prophet" to avoid the confrontation about last night's events. For a man who spent most of his nights on the couch lately he seemed happy.  
Almost too happy, then it hit her. _Oh no, not this again._

"Pancakes?" Ron said and put three hot ones on the empty plate in front of her. She didn't answer him. He continued with the pancakes and feeding a laughing Rose. It was torture, he knew it. He acting all sweet after an argument she clearly started without reason and he provoking her to say those little hideous words that would made him smile all day long. She was determined to be motionless as stone the whole day but when she could hear how Ron produced the blue rose from thin air and placed it carefully on the middle of table she felt softer behind her paper.  
"Syrup?" he said and she looked up from the magazine and met his provoking eyes, yes he was silently smiling because he knew she was defeated. She had enough.

"I'm sorry, ok!"  
"Yes Hermione, yes you are." He said with a grinning smile, that awful winning smile taunting her and her syrup drowned pancakes. He smiled even wider than Rose who realized that a bowl on her head is very funny.

.

.

.

He dropped Rose off at Harry and Ginny's in his muggle car that resembled a lot of the Ford Angelina he flew across half England on his second year with Harry. With a nostalgic thought of his Hogwarts days while parking he joined Harry in the livingroom and together they floo-ed themselves to the ministry. It wasn't like it was during the dark times; people were much happier and relaxed. Kingsley was the chief and he was working wonders with the ministry but if someone felt that they made a difference it was Ron among his best friend and his wife. He passed the new statue that consisted of a wizard, a witch, a centaur, a black-elf and a house-elf but it was not the same statue that had been standing there so many years ago. This statue was actually Hermiones magic, they stood back to back in a circle and in the middle they guarded something. He knew, being her husband that it was a metaphor for the dead that joined them in the war but the official statement was that they guarded the interests of the ministry. The word "united" was hovering around them in strong gold. He smiled towards the black-elf that looked exactly as proud as Grip-hook had done and the stone statue smiled back.

"She did good work on that one." Harry said nodding against the statue.

"Yeah, especially with Dobby over there" He said and looked at the replica of Dobby in stone and to his amusement he had one striped sock and one checked one.

As soon as he and Harry arrived to the elevator the positions they were in got clearer. Harry was Head Auror and got the constantly talks by various chiefs in different departments and he was a highly respected Auror but still Harry was the war against the dark arts main fighter. That's Harrys destiny he supposed and he thought that it was his too until he got Rose. He woke up from his thoughts and listened to a serious debate about a magical creature escapee Harry and Mr. Sharmand had.  
"Exactly what I talked to Mrs Granger Weasley about . The new paragraph in the law about these issues makes it harder."  
"I see – well if we suspect Dark Arts we will take action Mr. Sharmand but that hippogriff isn't harmful do you recon?" Harry said calmly.  
"With all due respect but it's a hippogriff Mr. Potter" Mr. Sharmand said calmly and cleared his throat.  
" Last time I've heard about hippogriffs they were attacking students in Hogwarts." Mr. Sharmand added with a dry voice.  
"So history repeats herself, maybe we should learn from the mistakes Mr. Sharmand" he said to take part in the conversation. The elevator stopped and a sour Mr. Sharmand gave Ron a vicious glare before he left. Harry burst out in laughter.  
"Vicious one mate. You keep them on their toes like that in the office and we will be good."  
"Harry about that – I'm quitting. I'm going to do some work with George in the shop. I want to stick around to see Rose grow up if you understand. That last week with the explosion made me realize it." The elevator stood still but Harry didn't move out.  
"This was your dream – I don't understand."  
"Some things are more important besides I'm getting a bit old to fit under the saving lives cloak if you know what I mean." He said giving Harrys chest a wink knowing that the invisibility cloak laid there for all times.

.

.

.

Justice was served at last she though as she signed the last paper in the case against a cross-breeding case that had gone wrong. She missed the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures but Magical Law was far more interesting. She finished the last page for the day and what a day she had, the stack of papers were finished by lunch and refilled as she came back, Mr. Sharmand had come back to fight about the hippogriff case again even though she told him that she didn't work at the regulation and control of magical creatures anymore and on top of that to Harry and Rons unliking Draco Malfoy came to give her a rapport on the progress he and his team made in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. She felt the tension on her wrist from a day of writing and missed her baby smelling daughter and her husband. She re-read her work to be sure that everything was perfect but a thin voice interrupted her thoughts  
"Mrs Weasley?" She looked up and shot a smile to Mr Weasley who stood there waiting for her.  
"Let's go and get Rose from Harry and Ginny's. I've been missing her like crazy." She said.  
"Yeah, Harry is waiting on us by the floo." He said approaching her in the empty office and kissed her neck.  
"Ron…" she moaned but he ignored her and how could she resist it. It was a while ago she had to admit, with Rose, the new laws and the panic at the Aurors office with the exploding houses.  
"Tonight" He said, leaving her coat on a nearby chair and turned around to join Harry by the floo.  
She was aroused by that determent man.

.

.

.

Ron was all over her, kissing every part he could reach. She was doing the same and listened to his deep but quick breaths. It was dangerous, almost unorthodox with Rose just a room away sound asleep. Ron was longing for this and his fingers moved all over her body. She couldn't resist and whispered seductively in his left ear to tempt him more and more. He tortured her with the slow kisses. It was hot, sweaty and they enjoyed the simple touch of each other. Ron told her that she was beautiful even though the pregnancy had taken its course on her. And they went at it again, laughing and playing this time. She told him that he was fantastic. So they went at it again.  
And again.  
And again.

.

.

.

Georges son, Fred Weasley II was running around in the joke shop looking like an replica of Fred – or George. It was oblivious that George loved his son so deeply and his son returned this love and admired his father. Working with George was experimental; he was working there for his third month and did never seem to stop being impressed by the things that George came up with to sell. He, himself had to came with ideas like "dirty-soap" and his favorite "mud-on-nose" but it was George (and even Ginny's) amazing ideas that made the shop running. The racks were filled with things as "Glue-a-goo", "Shrinking-Shoe" and the best seller "Left-Right-Wand-Fight" who resulted in spells being shot at different angels. It was a grey Tuesday and it was packed like usual at the cash machine with kids just like little Fred Weasley and his best friend who just entered the room, little James Potter.  
"Hi godfather!" James yelled across the room and rushed towards him to give him a tight hug.

"That's a change" he said hugging James back. James looked dumbstruck.  
"Don't you like it? Daddy told me that you were my godfather like Sirius was."

"Yeah, but I'm not as serious about it as Sirius was now aren't I"  
"Well that's a bit low for a joke now isn't it Ron – Hi George" Harry said walking into the shop, James was now busy hugging George. The reaction was weird, although himself and George (Also called George "The Holey" Weasley) were famous it was nothing comparing to Harry Potter. The sad thing thought was that the parents of the kids in the shop were the ones to come and shake Harrys hand with much pride in their voices. The kids found Harry Potter boring but James and Fred heroic.  
"Ehm – yeah, thank you." Harry said a bit confounded. Harry didn't make these kinds of trips just because these kind of things.

"What brings you here mate?" he said and Harry mumbled a little about Left-Right-Wand-Fight as a dangerous dark art artifact before he said  
"Rose is spending the night at our place. Albus loves playing with her you know. But I really think you should visit Hermione now and I – eh can handle things from here for now." He said giving George a glare at the word handle. His stomach just dropped, was she okay?  
"Is she okay Harry, where is she. What happened?" he said in ultra rapid speed.  
"She is fine Ron, she is at your place but don't…"  
He aparted away.

.

.

.

Stupid Weasley genes she though as she sat on the bathroom floor in her nightgown. Still in her nightgown past noonish was never a good sign nor was the loud screams downstairs in the living room.  
"Hermione?"  
"Hermione?"  
"Hermione!"  
"Oh, in here Ron" She shouted but the last thing she wanted to see was his face right now, especially in this state. He ran up the stair violently and started to bang at the door.  
"Open the door Herm". She didn't have the strength. He seemed to whip his wand a numerous time even though he knew that her spells on the doors often were fully and strongly done.  
"You leave me no choice Herm" Ron said. He mumbled and the whole door exploded.  
"Are you out of your damn mind Ronald?" she yelled looking at the whole where the door was seconds earlier. Ron sat next to her and stroking her hair while her head rested at the toilet seat.  
"I was worried, why aren't you at the office?"  
"I felt ill." She said quickly.  
"So you're pregnant." He said happily.  
Ronald – _just because I'm ill doesn't it make me pregnant_ she wanted to be able to say to the freckled and too happy man in front of her.

"Yeah… I guess I am. You got it quickly this time" she said weakly. He smiled.  
"To be honest you started to look quite chubby – "She felt offended by Rons lack of sensitivity.  
" – but I was glad and you're still the cutest wife I'll ever have" he continued not realizing the close call of fight.

"It was horrible last time Ron… what if it gets as bad."  
"We'll make it through."

She puked again and Ron flushed the toilet and gave her some water.  
"It's a he… and I'm glad" she said now smiling but still looking pale and ill. Ron didn't mind a girl or a boy obliviously. He was just glad.  
"Me too, I really am" Ron said looking happily at her.  
"I love you" She said hoping that he would know how much. He kissed her hand and returned her words. Ron held her hand and she felt the warm blood rushing through her veins. She felt ill, sick and completely weak but they sat there on the bathroom floor in dust of the exploded door in complete silence and she just knew that this moment would flee slowly though her fingers so she had to live it, remember it and cherish it.

"Hugo." Ron whispered remembering obviously his favorite name as a kid. She only read the meaning of the name Hugo in her mind – "bright in spirit and mind".

"Brilliant." She whispered looking to his eyes that slowly filled with tears of pride.

And they both fell in silence again.

.

.

.

* * *

_[UPDATE]  
Chapter tease :_

"- And you! You thoughtless man, how many times haven't I told you that you have to stop bringing work home?" She had a point, she really did. She always had.  
"You know what… Rose was the one sneaking in to my study, Rose is the one who fed him the "Trust-its-Dust" and Rose is the one…"  
"I hate you daddy!" Rose yelled and ran up for the stairs and slammed her bedroom door. She was six years old, this behavior was not tolerated. His heart started to race and all the sounds were blocked out. He literally had a heart failure before he gained some self-control.

_Oh Ron, why on earth are you beeing so thoughtless.  
keeping it short by saying. Favs can only say so many much, Reviews says up to 10000 words._

_Thank you for reading this one too and thank you all reviewers from the past, present and the future. _


	7. VII: The Pride of Kids

**Swedish**A/N: No ownership. This chapter could be very confusing, It's basically the key events in Rose and Hugos childhood and their relation to Hermione and Ron (who are the main focus 3). Bear with me on this one *lol*.  
The "Count – to – ten" theme doesn't allow year after year being written so yeah – sum up.  
Hope you enjoy or flame away.

**Ron/Hermione : Close your eyes and count to ten**

* * *

*  
"What comes after six"  
"Is that the beginning of a bad joke Ron?"  
"No, it's brilliant. What's after six?"  
"It's seven?"  
"I'm your heaven?"  
"Yep, that was a really bad joke Ron."

* * *

Dedicated to all the people who put me on favorites/wrote all those reviews/has the story on story alerts/enjoys reading this fic…  
…and to **you** reading _right now_.

You make me feel proud.

* * *

VII:  
** The Pride of kids**

It wasn't often you could feel this kind of pride towards something she thought and remembered her proudest moments through the ages. It started with 50 points for ice-cold logic at first grade continued with solving Hogwarts dirty little secret while brewing a highly complex potion in the girls toilet, the third year she managed to take all the courses available and save a innocent hippogriff and an innocent man. The fourth grade accomplishment was not her proudest but socially an accomplishment. She was getting asked out by an internationally known Quiddich player and a rather good looking boy Viktor Krum. The last one would go on Rons nerv but it's still an accomplishment she thought. Well – the list of her proudest moments could go on forever but among changing wizard law and having Rose this moment right here was one of her proudest.

She looked at the boy in her arms and couldn't help but feel that Hugo was the sweetest baby boy in this hospital and on the universe. He hadn't got the mandatory red hair as a Weasley should but she guessed that the brown bushy mess on his head would change in time. His eyes were her eyes. They looked calm and intelligently when they observed the woman in front of them. She was glowing with pride. The boy was her last child she didn't know why but she had a hunch. He would always be her little baby boy.  
"Mum loves you – no matter what" she whispered to the little baby who was falling asleep.

"Daddy too" a voice said from a far. She looked up from the baby to see her husband and her growing daughter.

"Well, I don't!" said the little girl with a highly developed speech. She was two years old. The little girl was holding her father's hand tightly to make sure he didn't let go; she was clearly jealous by this little boy.

"He seems yucky!" she added and turned just as red as her hair.

.

.

.

"To Hugo Weasley and Lily Luna Potter"  
They all lifted their glasses high into the air and made a toast at the Burrows. Lily was a day younger than her cousin Hugo and they seemed to get along because they were screaming one at the time and missing their mothers touch almost on a scheme to both Hermione and Ginnys amusement.  
The party was a very small but happy occasion for the two Potter and Weasley one year olds. Fred the second and James the second were showing Albus and Rose how to be as cool as five year olds. Albus and Rose cried mostly and wanted to do everything themselves even though they didn't manage. Teddy was big enough to run away from the crowd to be with Victorine.

"The little one looks jus' like yeh Harry" Hagrid said clearly tipsy and looked at Albus who was copying Rose hand movements. Harry beamed at this comment.

"But tha' one is red like a Weasley an' smart like a Granger. I often say to be more witch than Hermione yeh have to be mental" Hagrid added while pointing at Rose who made a tiny Knot hover in the thin air to impress Albus who was getting frustrated and cried loudly. Hermiones parents were the one that were beaming now.

"Oh Rosie you really have to stop that. I don't know what to do with her; she is only three years old and controls her wand less magic" Hermione said to a nodding Percy with a concerned look. They both though of the constriction against under-aged law he guessed but he couldn't be prouder over his little daughter who was performing wand less magic without any problem. Lily started to cry wildly after a toy that James now stole but two minutes later Hugo saved the day by his "gaga" to her. A wave of affection went through him as he watched Hugo and Lily interact from a far.  
These little insights he got at this party were the beginning of good times.

"To Hugo Weasley and Lily Luna Potter" He said leaving his glass behind to carry Hugo his arms and absorb every little smell the one year old spread; he smiled towards Rose who was making the Knot hover so high up that it was out of reach for Fred the second and felt the pride.

And they drank again.

.

.

.

"You can't keep bringing work home Ron, its destructive" Hermione yelled from the kitchen with a rage that only Hermione could use successfully.  
"Why not, you do it all the time." He added knowing that this wasn't the same thing.  
"My work is paperwork, your work sets paper on fire – Hugo no!" she yelled. A loud crack, a yelling Hermione and a roar of laughter burst out but it wasn't Hermiones, it was Roses. The four year old Hugo was crying when Ron came to the scene. Time had moved on so fast since the day Hugo was born. He was now covered in dust and was crying without any control, he sympathized with the little boy. Hermione was busy yelling at Rose who seemed ashamed over something but it was when Hermione realized that Ron was in the room that hell broke loose.

"- And you! You thoughtless man, how many times haven't I told you that you have to stop bringing work home?"  
She had a point, she really did. She always had.

"You know what… Rose was the one sneaking in to my study, Rose was the one who obviously fed him the "Trust-its-Dust" and Rose is the one who deserves to get yell…"

"I hate you daddy!" Rose yelled and ran up the stairs and a half minute later a sound from upstairs implied that she had slammed her bedroom door with all the force she had in her.

She was six years old, this behavior was not tolerated. His heart started to race and all the sounds were blocked out. He literally had a heart failure before he gained some self-control.

"I blame the muggle TV" He said as calmly as he could but his heart was more broken than he wanted to admit. Hermione didn't fall for the act he was putting on and knew that he was hurt beyond extent.

"Just go and fix it will you?" Hermione said almost as irritated as he felt.  
They fell in silence just looking at Hugo that was neglected on the kitchen floor, crying his heart out in a sea of dust.

He knocked on the door and called her name. She didn't answer so he whipped his wand at the door that flung open and walked in to sit on the end of the bed. She was sobbing silently.

"I'm sorry Rosie but your mother is … well, hard" He said and sat next to her head.  
"I would never tell on _you_ daddy" Roses muffled voice said behind her pillow. He felt guilty, the Weasleys are known for being loyal and there he was selling Rose out to Hermione.

"I know, but next time don't go all Uncle George and Aunt Ginny with the mischief's… and try to stay out of my study will you?" he said slowly and stoked her hair slowly like he did when she was smaller.

"Okay dad…" Rose said now looking up from the pillow with her sad, puffy eyes.  
"…And I don't hate you. I was just really angry."

.

.

.

"Dad?" said the seven year old Hugo while sitting on his dads lap. Ron never grew tired of making his kids sit on his lap despite the fact that they felt they were old enough to sit next to them. He felt comfortable to have them close his body so that he would be able to feel their heartbeats, smell their individual sent they had and feel their deep breaths or shivers. He nodded and Hugo carefully though of how to say this properly.  
"There is a girl in my class, her name is Sarah. She's a muggle of course but she is cute and she smells like muggle candy – and she likes to play. Can I _play_ with her?" He said rapidly knowing that the faster the words left his mouth the quicker the embarrassment would leave. He felt his son getting a bit warmer in his lap and slowly thought of something proper and adult to say when all he really wanted to ask was "Are you snogging at age seven son?" with the most impressive tone he could.

"I don't see why you shouldn't play with her" he said reasonably to his son who let out a small amount of air out of his lungs.  
"Because she is a _girl_ dad" Hugo said like it was the worst thing you could be after a feet smelling troll.  
"You'll grow to like them someday" He said with his mind wondering of to Hermione who was asleep in their bed upstairs.  
"Maybe – but they have to be like Sarah. She shares her toys with everybody" Hugo said after putting a lot of thought to it. He couldn't help but laugh at Hugos wise words.

He carried Hugo upstairs while tickling him and put him to bed. When Hugo entered the world of dreams he kissed him goodnight on the forehead and went back to his twin bed and to his Hermione. He stripped down to his underwear and snuck up behind Hermione and put his arms around her waist. The sensation of her skin against his body was something he would never stop loving or needing. It was smooth and warm and even to this day it made him feel like a hormonal teenage boy who got all his dreams granted.  
"Ron…" Hermione whispered.  
"I missed you" he whispered back and felt her hair tickle his nose. Hermione turned towards him and gave him a slow kiss.  
"I didn't – I had a wonderful dream." Hermione said sleepy.  
"Oh really, what was the dream about?" He said looking at her lips while they gave him a tiny smile he barley saw in the dark.  
"You, just you" was all she whispered and fell asleep again.

.

.

.

There wasn't a book in her room that Rose hadn't read from page to page at age ten. She loved the muggle stories about witches and wizards, love and death but also the study material from first grade that her mother had given her. She had all the knowledge about different charms and hexes and was eager to try them out when she got her wand. Some of the minor Transfiguration spells she begged her mother to show on various objects in her house. Rose had an own box where she put the things her mother made for her. The box was originally a badger so it was black and white with smirk detailing; her mother's wand movements never stopped to amaze Rose.

Hermione knocked at her daughter's door. Rose opened it and seemed exited to see her.  
"Dinner downstairs in five minutes Rose" she said to her daughter who sat on the floor with her nose in a book.  
"Please show me the trick on page fifty nine in this book" Rose said as an answer and held up a solemn book. She remembered page fifty nine in that old Charms book as it was yesterday the book was read. It was with a smile and almost a taunting laughter she pointed to Roses pink pillow and made it levitate.  
"It says here that most wizards struggle with these both physically and verbally" Rose said with a finger in her book to follow the line were those words were written.  
"What does that mean – I think it's perfectly clear in this book" she added.

"It's all in the hand movement and its Win-_gar-_dium Levi-_o-_sa." She said to her daughter but couldn't hold the laughter in anymore.  
"I'm sorry mum but I don't see the fun in missing the fact that the hand movement is the key. It's almost ridiculous to miss it." Rose said with a know-it-all voice that made her both proud and annoyed.

She couldn't stop laughing at this. It was brilliant, her daughter was brilliant and he, _he _would go crazy to hear this.  
"Tell your dad when he comes home to eat, will you? He is quite a brilliant user of that charm" She said and left her Rose to study the hand movement to perfection alone in her bedroom.

.

.

.

Hugo had a bike accident and Ron was beyond his mind of rants against bikes, Hugo fell again and Ron was going nuts with his tips of making Muggle School safe and when Hugo hurt himself for the third time that month only Ron went almost mental by the lack of magical spells to protect their kids. It was normal to fall at age nine like Hugo always did but Ron didn't mind if it was from a broom. It's more natural to fall off a broom; people do it all the time was his argument not knowing that muggle children road bikes since the age of five. After the the bikes were forbidden things in the house of Granger-Weasley and defiantly anywhere the parents wasn't there with wands or "The Essence of Dittany". The Hufflepuff cup was filled when Hugo came home from school one day with huge bandage on both knees and before Ron found out she had to know if those big bruises really were a bikes fault.

"What happened dear?" she said looking at her bruised son. They were outside on their lawn under the burning sun in early June. They sat down on the green grass and smelled the flowers that were surrounding her boy as he spoke

"Nothing really mum... Can I go to my room?"

Hugo loved the sun and the forest next to the house was his favorite place in the whole world. Ron did a good choice when he argued and won the fight of buying this house. Hugo used to spend the whole June, July and August in the woods alone and sometimes companied by his godfather Neville. They seemed to share the same fascinations of the plants and herbs that were in the woods. Neville was actually coming over today so this day was perfect for the woods, she knew.

But why didn't he want to go?

"Hugo, tell me what happened. Who did this to you?" she said looking devastated, this was not a bike but that thought didn't south her a bit. She even wished it to be a bike even if it made them deport from England to somewhere "fluffy" and "safe" as Ron would put it.  
"Some kids… They thought I was weird." He said and his ears turned red. He didn't inherit a lot of physical traits from his father but this particular one was typical Ronald Weasley.  
"What is wrong with you? I think you are absolutely perfect." She said and kissed him on the forehead. This comment didn't made him feel better obviously.  
"You're my mum. You _have_ to think I am but I'm really not." He said and stroked the place where she kissed him.  
"Did they bully you?" she said. He nodded.

Hugo was the most sensitive, caring and loving boy on the face of the earth. Everybody that knew Hugo couldn't avoid loving him from the start. Despite the suns burning sensation on her skin she couldn't help but shiver inside when she stared into his calm, brown eyes. These next words were very important to maintain Hugos trust so she chose them carefully.

"They used to bully me once you know… But I was better than them, I knew it. And you actually know one of the people who bullied me" Hugo looked surprised by this new fact.

"Who did that to you?" He said.  
Hermione shrugged a little  
"Your father, but that was because he was jealous of me. Or in love with me – either way he regretted it later. You see – when he got to know me he loved me and look at us now. We have a perfect little Rose and a perfect little Hugo."

Hugo didn't quite believe that his father used to be that bad. She knew it was only matter of seconds before Hugo revealed his secret about the knees. You just needed to give him some space and time; in that way he was a lot like Ronald Weasley psychologically.  
"Mum… I was very angry and I didn't know how to control myself. So I think I hexed them and that's why I fell on my knees. Because it was a lot of magic and well – I think a really good hex too" Hugo said finishing a bit proud. She hugged her son tightly in the grass and felt all the small worries from the past five years leave her.  
"Although I don't like the fact that it was a hex I'm glad for you that you did magic"

She didn't admit it but she was afraid that Hugo would turn out a Squib knowing that they had a really hard time in the wizard society. The pressure of being a Weasley, that meaning a pure wizard family with magic running through their veins as naturally as blood and son to Hermione Granger who was considered to be one of the brightest mind in this century couldn't be good for Hugo. Along with Rose who was doing magic at her first birthday and her extremely teasing methods did hurt Hugos ego a bit. His magic came as a blessing not only to her but to Hugo.

"So I guess I'm not a Squib like Teddy, James and Fred though" He said starring up from the grass into his mothers eyes. "And Rose… "He added sadly. Hugo was bright, analytical and logical.  
"You know… your godfather had the same problem when he was a kid and look at him now" She said calmly and realized that Neville Longbottom would be here anytime now.  
"Neville… no mum, he couldn't be like me. He is the best and knows everything about the forest and he has done a lot of things mum and teachers aren't dumb" He said defending one of his biggest heroes.  
"Exactly" She said kissing her son again but this time Hugo let her kiss stay sticked to his skin. Neville came out of the thin air.  
"Talking about Neville, here he is" she said and stood up to hug her friend.  
Hugo stood up and gave her a thanking look.  
"Thanks mum" and kissed her on the cheek when she hugged him.

Three seconds later Hugo was in Nevilles arms and was hugging him harder than ever. Clearly happy of having him here and filled with excitement to tell him about the news of his magic, somethings weren't supposed to be told to mothers she guessed.  
"You are the best godfather you know that right?" Hugo said to an overwhelmed Neville and she left them alone under the June sun and felt content when Neville walked slowly towards the forest with an injured, halting but joyful Hugo.

.

.

.

Rose did pack everything, her owl, her luggage, her new wand, her books from the booklist, the books that weren't from the booklist (No surprise that her favorite was Hogwarts through the ages) and all the clothes that laid spread all over the room. Rose was good to go, he knew and she was organized by a plan she did with her mother, he knew. His daughter was going to be the smartest girl in that school he thought with a feeling of pride towards Hermione who taught her daughter everything she knew. His little girl was good to leave them for a whole year to be a student at Hogwarts.

Time moves so fast; he remembered his first day at the castle so clearly, the first time he met Harry and the first fight he had with Hermione. It was an awful amount of time since then but he still found it hard to know that his daughter was going to start her life. Hopefully much safer and without breaking all the laws possible like he, Harry and Hermione had done during their Hogwarts days but he wasn't going to be there to guard her. She was all grown up but it didn't change the fact that he liked to stand in her room while she was sound asleep to admire her but tonight he was not alone. Hermione came slowly behind him.

"Isn't she beautiful when she sleeps" Hermione whispered closely to his ear.  
"I came to check on her before the big day" She added to explain what she did in her sleeping daughters' room.  
"Were we this tiny, when we first met?" He asked her. Hermione laughed and said  
"I didn't feel that tiny but you sure were".  
"You were so annoying it drove me crazy" He whispered recalling their first years together as friends.  
"But you did marry me Ron" Hermione shoot back covering her laughter badly.  
"I always had a feeling that you would." She added with the same security in her voice that she had in the court room.  
"Well, you were the cutest girl that told me off now weren't you" He said grinning in the dark.

"Always a charmer" Hermione said leaving his side to kiss Rose on her forehead.  
"I'm going to miss my Rose" he heard her whisper. He was going to miss her too.

.

.

.

_All is well._

_._

_._

_.  
_

The train had left the station 9 and three quarters about an hour ago but Hugo was crying silently in the back of the car. Ron was awfully silent and she already missed her daughter.

"We'll send her roses Hugo, would that make you feel better." She said feeling better about it.  
"Maybe" Hugo said still sobbing.  
"Yeah, blue ones." Ron said smiling quickly towards her than turned his head back to the road.  
_Ron and his blue roses._

Time had gone so quickly and here they were jammed into a car thanks to Rons second license (although he Confunded the driving instructor) without saying a word again. They weren't jammed enough like Weasleys should be but Rosie was now starting her own story.  
"It's two _whole_ years left" Hugo whined from the back seat.  
"Time goes faster than you think" she said calmly and looked at her concentrating husband with both hands on the wheel, a sweaty forehead from concentrating so hard on the actual driving and a stare on the road that would make anybody jump away from that car and that thing...

No.

She didn't want to comment but it was a bit ironic.

Time may have moved quickly but Ronald Weasley was still sitting by her side with dirt on his nose.

.

.

.

* * *

_Chapter tease: VIII  
_

"Do not bring his name up in our house." he said dangerously.

"I can't believe your still sensitive about it Ron" Hermione said. He refused to give her a response about that fact. _Of course as hell that he was sensitive_

* * *

SO, there it goes…longest chapter so far!  
It could have been more fluff I have to admit but I want to keep it simple… chapter **7** of **10**..  
we're closing up,_ I'm feeling a bit sad but this is it. Keep me going and you shall receive a number 8._

_thank you for reading this one too.._


	8. VIII:The Calm and The Storm

**SwedishA/N**: I do not own Hermione or Ron but thank you J.K for creating them. You are the greatest. We are closing up now.._. I'm going to let you in a secret soon_, just because I adore you all! But we'll save that until its time. It's a silly one lol! However, Ron and Hermione have gone through the most in life that means big changes but with age the lack of happenings comes. Basically Ron and Herm, you are getting older.

* * *

*  
"Eight. But what's that sound?"  
"You really find it hard to count without knowing why, don't you?"  
"No… but I'm getting curious."  
"You are getting close Hermione."  
*

* * *

VIII:  
**The Calmness and the Storms.**

Hugo was devastated by this moment that he didn't want to let his daddy go. Lily Potter however was going out of her mind with excitement and begged Hugo to let go of Uncle Rons sweaty hand so he wouldn't miss the Hogwarts Express. Hugo finally let go of Ron who looked just as devastated as Hugo did. She knew that her son feared to say goodbye to her.  
"It's not goodbye you know, it's see you later" she said in a lame attempt to comfort Hugo.  
"Besides Neville will be there" Ron added, Hugo looked much happier to be reminded of this for the eleventh time this day alone and hugged her tightly before turning his back to walk into the train. The exited Lily waved both hands wildly towards Harry and Ginny and the sad Hugo raised his hand in a muggle soldier salute towards Ron and gave her a weak smile. The train rolled slowly from their eyesight and they stood lonely on platform nine and three quarters. Her kids were gone again.

"And now what?" Ron said after a moment of silence. Parents around them seemed to think the same. Harry and Ginny looked especially lonely because of their kids ability to draw attention was a true form of art with the name of 'Potter' and their individual traits as pranksters, Slytherins _and_ being a Potter at the same time or being Lily, the firecracker.  
"We will manage" she said trying to understand how her parents coped with their only daughter away all these years. She realized her parents sad faces when she waved them off now that her brilliant Rose and her humble Hugo had left her in the mist with an aging husband and a lot of spare hugs and kisses to give.

Ginny and Harry joined them while having a heated debate that seemed to make Harry sweat uncontrollably and Ginny turn extremely Weasley red.  
"James is alright but Albus is having a harder time Ginny… and Slytherin is a lion pit for a Potter" Harry started.  
"Oh, Harry you have to stop worrying about Al – he is fine. But how about your Lily? How about your sensitive and sweet daughter Lily" Ginny bellow fiercely.  
"Sensitive… Ginny, she is wilder than you were when…" Harry snapped back.  
"Harry! Ginny! Worry about _James! _James is taking his O.W.L.s this year! You have to consult him and with Fred Jr…" she reacted.  
"There's the Hermione I learnt to ignore" interrupted Ron and grinned.  
She gave him the look of doom. Both Harry and Ginny looked stricken at her, clearly not knowing that she had been present.  
"You three sound just like stiff parents. Come on, let's leave this empty platform and get into the car. With Rose and Hugo in Hogwarts we'll need a girl and a boy fighting in the back seat so Harry and Ginny of course, you will do wonders" He added not minding her sending some more looks towards him.  
They left the platform nagging still and returned to their everyday life.

Years were going to pass in this paste.

.

.

.

"Ron, we've got letters." Hermione yelled from the upper floor in their empty house. Roses room to be more precise, he met a beaming Hermione and the beaten up family owl that was lying helplessly on the window sill from a flight through the brutal way this winter afternoon.  
"This one is for you." she added and gave him a tiny letter with what looked as muddy handprints on. They were signed to "Dad" and that made his heart jump a little, the tiny and untidy handwriting that resembled so much of his own was Hugos. He opened the letter quickly and started to read.

_**Hi dad!  
**__Rose was writing mum a holiday letter so I wrote you one,  
you know… so you'd feel that you weren't left out.  
Hogwarts is great and although the boys in my dorm are childish  
and immature I have Lily. She is the greatest and you should see  
the hex she did on the sixth grade boy from Slytherin who teased  
me about befriending Hagrid. Professor McGonagall sent her to  
detention but whispered that she was mastering that spell as  
well as her mum. What did Aunt Ginny do with bogey-bats hexes?  
_– Ron smiled at this knowing what his baby sister could do with her wand.  
_By the way, Hogsmeade is the coolest. I got all your gifts from there  
but I hope that you don't mind us staying here this Christmas.  
I miss you dad, and tell mum that I miss her too. So she knows.  
Love Hugo  
P.S. Neville showed me a Devils snare, he even told me that mum  
defeated one at her first year – But I like them and I am a two years  
older than mum were when she first met the Devils snare.  
Please dad can I take one home with me during the summer?_

Hermione beamed after reading this letter probably at the comment of defeat and first year, he felt a new warm feeling rushing through his body. His son was brilliant and very warm but Merlin will roll in his grave before he will be permitted a Devils snare in their safe home.  
"Oh – maybe he'll grow up and become as brilliant as Neville in Herbs?" Hermione said and smiled happily at her ambitions for her son. Neville was indeed a very special person he thought and wouldn't mind seeing his son as a staff in his previous school as long as he didn't become like _professor _Snape.  
"Open my little girls now, I'm getting curious." He said curiously. Hermione opened the carefully written letter and started to read it while he read it over her shoulder.

_**Hi mum!**_  
_First, I love you. And I love you too dad. Thank you for all the presents,  
Hugo says that too, he forgot in his letter but didn't want to rewrite  
it all. Anyways, I sent an owl to granny to tell her thank you for the  
sweater... We look all alike… _

"Stop reading Ron!" Hermione yelled and gripped the letter to her heart.  
"Why? They look alike where?" he said a bit disappointed.  
"It's girl things." Hermione said with a smirk and she didn't have to say more to make him loose interest for a moment. If there was something he had been taught during these many years with Rose as his daughter and Hermione as his friend, sparring partner, girlfriend, fiancé and wife was that a girl thing is never good in the hands of men.

She started to read the letter from the point Ron had stopped reading it even though she had finished that part a while ago.

… _here in the Common Room. Well, Albus in the Slytherin one might  
be taunted but we (Me and Hugo) like it. Please, can you tell daddy  
to stop reading over your shoulder now because I know that you  
read faster than him. Is he gone?  
Good.  
Mum, I think I'm falling in love with the wrong boy. I know you told me  
that dad used to be well… an idiot but this boy is much worse than dad.  
You might not like him either... Don't tell dad. I don't want to tell you  
who it is mum because I'm a bit embarrassed but I just wanted to tell  
someone. I couldn't even tell Al. Don't worry though, he is my age.  
Furthermore, I want to tell you that the O. W. L.s starts soon and I  
would like to discuss them with you to learn more. I draw up a  
study scheme (Al keep telling me it's too early but I draw him one  
and I even took time to draw one for Fred and James 7__th__ year) but  
because James broke my quills in an attempt to make me stop  
studying and drawing him maps I need new quills. _  
– How about "Reparo" Rose? She thought  
_ And yes mum, I tried the "Reparo", "Reparo Totalus" and even  
Uncle Georges Glue-the-Two but James magically ruined them  
(at least he will pass his Charms). So, will you buy me new quills?  
Tell dad that I love him.  
Love Rose._

"My little girl – _she_ likes a _boy_!" was the outburst from behind her back that made her jump high and grab her wand. It was Ron and he was as petrified as only he could be when the matter was love.  
"Oh – Ron you shouldn't see that." She let out disappointed.  
"Like hell I shouldn't – She is, she can't, I mean we weren't – she likes a boy?"  
"Did you read the part of her study scheme? I am very proud of her taking her studies – "  
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with the boy? It's too bloody early" Ron interrupted.  
"She is a fifth year student; it's not early to be interested in boys. I was in fourth – "she started.  
"Do not bring his name up in our house." Ron shouted out dangerously.  
"I can't believe your still sensitive about it Ron." Hermione said. Ron refused to give her a response about that fact. _Of course as hell that he was sensitive about an internationally and handsome Quiddich player who had fancied if not fancies his wife._  
"How will we prevent this, should we go and get her?" Ron started said and ideas wilder and wilder than that started to appear. He was being foolish so she smacked his arm with the letter and muttered "mind your own business" before she left the room to prepare the dinner.

"That girl is going to make me have a heart attack even healers can't fix Hermione." Ron yelled as he ran down the stairs after her.  
She couldn't help but laugh, this was probably true.

.

.

.

These were the calmest years in Rons life. His life was brilliant and it was nothing that could take this away from him. He woke up next to the gorgeous woman Hermione who happened to be his wife. He was a successful part time man next to his brother George and although he never filled out Fred's shoes he knew that George was very happy of having him there whenever he could be there. The mourning of Fred had been finished in their hearts and the thought of his twin didn't bring angst anymore but small bits of happiness to George pre-old face. With Harry as his best friend he did eventually go back to work in the Auror department most of the times and reformed the ministry. He wanted to quit to raise Rose and Hugo properly a couple of years ago but he had dark magic experience in such a degree that only Harry could top, with this in mind he started to work at the Auror office at Hugos 15th birthday. He saw himself and Hermione as equals in dark art experience but this wasn't times he felt good talking about but he knew in some weird way that his purpose was to fight the injustice.

He had built up a life for himself, a one that didn't make him feel overshadowed, pressured or embarrassed in any form. The years that passed by were similar to each other – he guessed that this was life when you got older and he didn't mind it either. Hermione used to call this live acceptance faze as getting old. If this was getting old he thought he didn't mind it at all. It was comfortable to wake up in a warm bed with a loving wife. Head downstairs to breakfast in silence although he knew that she was there with him, sharing everything with him even if it was something as simple as silence. Floo yourself to work and actually be respected and well threaded at work and then head home to be fed or cook something up for himself and her to eat. Nights were spent in front of the TV, on a broomstick, in his study or with Hermione doing the everyday things and if they got a shot or were in the mood they spent it upstairs in their bed under the sheets doing what married couples should do more often.

His kids came on the breaks, often with friends or masses of cousins yelling, laughing and in Hugos case snoring to fill the silence he got accustomed to. These were what he called the "loud" times. He loved the loud times, hearing his kids grown up voices, seeing their grown up faces, listen to their grown up experiences and see Hermione kiss them intensely so they would know that they were loved. Nothing was new really besides the fact that Rose was doing just as good if not better than Hermione did in Hogwarts ("I had to leave Hogwarts to save the whole wizard world Ron, you can't tell me that is failure") and Hugo was a growing up to be true loyal Weasley with a passion for Herbs and Hagrids previous and more controversial subject Magical Creatures.

One thing that did hurt him was the fact that his father passed away but as many that had passed before him he got the chance to do it on his own terms and not under some evil inhumanness spell or by a whip of a wand. The thought of his father choosing his end made him not cry about it but feel a bittersweet sorrow and acceptance. Hugo had a much harder time with this and it resulted that Weasley went to their town courthouse at the muggle adult age of 18 and became Hugo Arthur Weasley that summer Arthur Weasley passed away.

He was awfully proud of Hugos good heart, of Roses accomplishment even Hermione for fulfilling her dreams but he was most proud of himself for making his life turn like a true Weasley life - carefree, proud and filled with all kinds of love.

.

.

.

Teddy Lupin and Victorine Lupin one year old with the weirdest tone of silver shining pink-lilac hair were celebrated in their home a bit outside of London. It was a sunshine filled July afternoon and Rose had passed her Healer training with flying collars; so good that she was rewarded with an internship in the higher divisions (this announcement made Hermione and Rose scream higher and more high pitched than the time Rose strode down the stairs that 7th grade winter break in her too-little-fabric prom dress). Hugo did exceptionally well in his Herbology and Magical Creatures Masters program and to both Teddy, James II and Fred II's amazement the once debated Squib had overdone them academically _and_ in his N.E.W.T.s two years ago, a fact that the boys refused to let go – two years had passed since Hugo showed them all that her son was clever but James Sirius Potter _had_ to bring it up.

"He's the son of _Granger_ dad, even if he's dumb he'd still be brilliantly dumb now wouldn't he?" said James to his father that spoke highly of his best friends kids. James, who were grown up and mature in an immature way didn't take notice of Harrys explanations of loving them all equally. His uncle George smiled vaguely while he was busy telling his daughter Roxanne to behave, a thing he rarely appreciated people doing. Roxanna had more fire in her than old George could handle.

"He's a Weasley too you know." Ron said proudly and beamed towards Hugo. Lily nodded with great appreciation towards his Weasley remark being one of the few that got the mandatory red flaming hair.  
"You did brilliantly too Lily Luna." Luna said hugging Lily closely while her twin boys were busy in a conversation with Albus and Rose on the other side of the room.

Suddenly Rose left out of sight for a longer time than Ron would like and Lily and Hugo started to tell a lot of blond jokes to each other without considering Fleur who sat at the end of the table with Victorine. The jokes escaladed from blond jokes to pale and vicious and Fleur got enough and left the table dramatically with an apologizing Lily running behind her.

He asked Hermione where Rose was disappearing – a thing she seemed to do more often lately when they got together but he only got unreasonable words as an answer. His thoughts left when Teddy carried in a huge chocolate cake (to the whole crowds cheers and excitements) to the little baby called Dora Fleur Lupin ("Well, Harry told me that my mother hated her name so why ruin it for my daughter."). Dora was held over a candle that Victorine blew out for her and the birthday celebration turned into cake eating. Everybody was taking their slices and enjoying themselves.  
Rose had even managed to come back with the same blush over her cheeks that she inherit from her uncle Charlie and grabbed the plate Albus were saving for her.

"_Ron_." Hermione whispered next to him while the whole room cracked up because of a joke Angelina Weasley told about her husband George "The Holey" Weasley. He forgot the thoughts that ran through his mind when she called his name in that way that still made him weak and warm after all these years.  
"What is it Hermione?" he whispered back and met her brown twinkling eyes. She grabbed his hand under the table and squeezed it tightly.  
"I love you and our life." He heard her whisper into his ear, leaving nothing more than hot air lingering at his ears.  
He squeezed her hand back to tell her all the things he felt with the touch.  
She knew.  
He did to.

.

.

.

"I'm going to tell you a story." She started. Her kids were in front of her on the kitchen table with studying eyes. They were all grown up, ready to make their steps into the world. Hugo just finished his four year long Herbology and Magical Creatures Masters with impressive results and Rose was a fully trained healer. She remembered what she did long before Hugos age and Roses age, they had fought and won the darkest wizard through all times. There weren't enough words to explain the joy she felt when they told her about their huge problems that weren't even comparable to the problems Harry, Ron and herself had at their time.

At age 15 when normal kids biggest problem were O.W.L.s (she admits that she too cared only for the O.) they've seen Voldemort rise and at seventeen they've seen him die. They even fought at age 11 against darkness. But here they were – her grown up kids whining away about _their_ difficulties.  
She was content; they grew up without loss, war and fear. Her children hadn't been evacuated from school, tortured by evil or even the slightest teased, mocked or haunted for being who they were. They were growing up as you should have, loved, provided for and a bit spoiled she had to admit and the aftereffects were a bit odd. Hugo was upset about the multiply choices of future after his academicals achievement and Rose upset of the way to break her big news to her dad that she did have a boy she liked_ a lot _("like really much mum, a huge amount of _a lot_") in her life. These were the tragedies of her children's life, fortunately.

In her time they weren't time for relationship until the end of war and after war and the word "future" was a word that you didn't use easily; especially around their Uncle Harry.  
"Me, your father and your godfather" she said and looked deeply in Roses eyes "and your uncle Harry" she added and gave Hugo the same look.  
"We know who uncle Harry is mum" Said Rose reassuring.  
"Well – as you know fought the darkest wizard and his servants for many years." She started. They listened like it was a class and she knew that if they had pads or parchments they would take notes to not let any information slip.  
"We know – Professor Binns doesn't know who we are but he knows who Hermione _Granger_, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter are" said Rose bored, probably reminded of a class where everybody stared at her while hearing all the _amazing_ deeds her parents and godfather did.  
"Honestly I don't think he knows that he'd had you, dad or Uncle Harry in class." Hugo added.  
"You are getting to old for the 'I'm going to tell you a story' aren't you?" she said not understanding where the years had gone. Hugo was 21 and Rose was the impressive age of 23.  
"You can tell a story if you want mum – " Hugo started kindly to spare her feelings but Rose "Ron" Weasley didn't mind hurting her and interrupted with a clear "Yes."

"Fine – The story is simple. We fought a lot, scarified our youth and by that you can do anything you want. You are free – freedom is nothing you should waste and the word future is something you should cherish. _Especially growing up around Uncle Harry._ Hugo, try all the jobs and take all the extra courses and masters you want. Melin knows there are many, you do know I did that in third grade" She announced proudly. Hugo looked as stricken as he did the time she told him that his father had been a bully all those years ago.  
"Courses in Hogwarts of course, not the jobs" she added. Hugo mumbled something about her finding the time to do so but that was a different story and it involved Uncle Harrys godfather, Dementors and a wild hippogriff so the story deserved more than being told lightly.  
"And Rose, your father loves you – and I do know that your father can be… well, not the most sensitive guy but _we_ will love him no matter what, won't we? Why don't you just tell me who he is and then tell your dad that you've gone and fallen – "  
she didn't finish her sentence when Ron came in through the door and walked into the kitchen looking as pale as the Gryffindor ghost.  
Ron stared into his daughters scared blues with challenging eyes.

"You didn't" he whispered and doing everything in his control to avoid the shaking that took over his body.  
"How could you do such a thing Rose, haven't I done everything for you?""Yes, I did and I love him and dad, it's not about everything. You weren't supposed to find out this way" she yelled petrified.  
"How would I know if my own flesh and blood didn't tell me Rose" he bellowed without any control.  
"Dad! Its love, that's why I did it, we did it. You wouldn't understand!" She yelled while standing up losing all the sense of fear and turned into rage. They both stared at each other with their equally intense blue eyes. Both red with fury at their individual places; his ears flaming and Roses cheeks burning. He saw how Hermione was looking at them intensely; she had always admired their passion for standing up for themselves and doing what they believed was right despite others, and often their own better judgment.

The tension in the room was horrid, the new found wisdom was horrid, it all was plain horrid and then – like a savior Hermione broke the silence.  
"What did Rose do?" Hermione said with a questioning look at him. Hugo seemed to find this rather amusing and obviously he knew what was up. Hugo and his bloody loyalty; it wasn't something he appreciated at this moment.  
"You want to know what she did?" he started calmly and looked at Hermiones questioning eyes.  
"_Ask Rose what she did!"_ he bellow with his eyes fixed at Roses.  
Ron had been told by an even paler man about this in the elevator at the Ministry. The last person on earth that he would ever assume talked about the sickening facts of love with him.

"Listen!" Rose started but became interrupted quickly.  
"How could you be so thoughtless Rose? I thought you inherit your mothers' brains." He yelled furiously.  
"You know what _Ronald_! I did inherit her brain but I made it clear to not inherit you thickness!" Rose roared.  
He felt that blow but that didn't stop him from yelling  
"Well _Rose, _you are really the daughter of Ronald Weasley if you are thick enough to go and marry a Malfoy behind your parents back now aren't you?" he snapped back.  
"No – I'm tick if I let that blood talk be an obstacle from getting what I want – aren't I? I'm leaving." She finished and with a crack she was gone.

"Ron! Hugo! She did _what?_"

.

.

.

She had suppressed last month events almost as good as Ron had; they both had a silent agreement to never speak about that event that shattered their whole family. However it was hard when she missed her Rose and Ron seemed to go mad without her and with two bottles of Firewiskey that Harry brought (by purpose of course) were cleared to the bottom by both Hermione and Ron felt it was time to talk. Both covering a bad case of the hiccups and tears mixed with regret and sadness, they were very loving towards each other but more than furious at their daughter.

"I – I – were suppose to take her down the aisle" Ron said while yawning and kissing Hermione on the cheeks not minding Ginnys disgusted look from the stove across the kitchen where she stood and poured potions. His lips fumbled slowly across her cheeks and started at her neck while they left sticky Firewhiskey kisses for her to enjoy the smell from.  
"Why didn't she – she tell _me_?" she said slowly behind the hiccups and shut her eyes at the feel of Rons lips despite the odd feeling of having Harry a seat in front of her. Harry stood up at this sight and joined a grossed out Ginny at the stove. Ron pierced her eyes to share his thoughts with her, she nodded when she understood.  
"See, you always know. I love…" Ron started and broke the eye contact to start kissing her neck wildly while they both tried to suppress their drunken laughter's.  
"…you too" she heard herself say with a giggle that belonged to the Firewhiskey alone.

Two glasses of Recovery Potion that Harry snuck out of the office and a wizard lullaby sung by Ginny later both Hermione and Ron fell asleep, drunk and in love, in their twin bed.

.

.

.

Hugo tried a whole month after the drunken night to find peace between Rose, his mother and father after the "Malfoy Lover incident" as Ron so sensitively called it. She knew that Ginny was a huge part of it all but she was hurt, extremely hurt but Ron was inhuman on the edge of being sadistic and determined to never accept a Malfoy into his family never less a "Malfoy Lover" as he now referred to Rose. Rose hadn't visit or even sent an owl in two months. She was just off being married to a Malfoy ignoring every little piece of legacy both Ron and she had given her.

That's why it was a surprise when they both woke up, frightened to the sound of a red-eyed Rose who appeared on the end of their bed with a crack two, almost three month after the "Malfoy Lover incident".  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I am so sorry" Was all Rose said repetitively, their bedroom felt silent besides her sobs.  
"Do you love him?" she said slowly and covered a yawn. She was working this with logic; be calm although you want to yell and be supportive. Too hurt to hug her but to glad to not comfort her she decided that stroking Rose slowly over the arm was the most reasonable thing to do.  
Ron just stared with sleepy eyes at Rose, it was not before he realized that it wasn't a dream that his eyes turned vicious. Obviously Ron wasn't ready to talk about _love_ with the "Malfoy Lover".  
"Well? Do you love him" she said with all the poise she had in her. Ron frowned at the word love.  
"Yes – I do. He gave up his whole family to be with me, I don't – I don't want to do that too. I love him but he loves me more. If - If that is possible" Rose told them both quietly behind her sobs.

Ron waved his wand and conjunct the blue rose as usual and gave her a short kiss on the mouth (while Rose covered her disgust badly) and then leaned to Rose and gave her a tender kiss on the cheek before he looked at his daughters eyes again. Her everyday rose had the same shade of blue as their daughter eyes. She knew Ron thought of her, he always thought of Rose.

"Well _Malfoy Lover_, he better love you foolishly much if he married a Weasley. There are far enough people for his best who are ready to curse a git, especially a Malfoy. I won't lie; when I meet him I'll bloody curse the paleness in his freckle free face. There is no stopping me for killing the Malfoy if he is being an idiot towards my daughter so he better behave properly" Ron said coolly not letting go of the fact that he was hurt beyond imagination, _he_ was a Malfoy and she was a "Malfoy Lover".  
"Ron, you're such a cold-blooded and insensitive git" she said venomous while forgetting everything about poise and logic. Ron grabbed her hand tightly under the sheets to tell her that he was sorry but on the surface it looked like he ignored her rant and looked firmly at Rose. This was the point when a father had to let go his daughter; basically the biggest father moment in Rons carrier, she let him have this one however he wanted it even if he acted as the biggest idiot on the face of the earth.

Rose however smiled behind the relived tears.

.

.

.

30 years ago she had been running here in high heels and a black dress. Ron had been crying and pulling the most stupidly brilliant and amazing proposal a Weasley had ever done according to his mother Molly. They sat at the same place where he had found the courage. It was a weird feeling to be honest that a place she haven't visit for 30 years looked exactly as she left it more or less when her life had changed so much. Ron was sitting next to her, and they looked upon the stars without saying a word. After 30 years the words could run out she thought but the beauty is that even if they did it wouldn't be a problem. Everything was easy and carefree and dare she say it – calm.

The forest was swallowed in darkness but was peacefully surrounding her this midnight. Ron whipped out his wand and whispered her name as he always did before he said "Expecto Patronum". It had been all those years since she saw that Otter run around at this place but this time she whipped out her own wand too and stared into Rons blue eyes to feel all the happiness she could.  
"Expecto Patronum" she whispered with her eyes fixed on Rons so the female Otter came out and played with Rons male Otter.

If there was something Hermione had fought her whole life except the fear to failure it was to gather enough poise to create a Patronus. It was not because she did not have enough happy memories to make a powerful Patronus with, but because she never could define happiness. She didn't grasp the theoretical part in the Patronus and she found that theory was essential in any form of magic. Nowadays she laughed at the idea of not being able to do one if anyone had asked her. She been able to conjure one without problems, after struggling with it all her analysis of the word happiness she realized that the word or its meaning couldn't be, or have any logical explanation in it. It was in this forest at age 50 that she realized that happiness was not provable, it was simply a _feeling_.

She knew it was the feeling of Rose, her daughter.  
And of Hugo, her son.  
And of Ron, her soul mate.

* * *

Chapter tease:

_[COMMING UP IN ONE-TWO DAYS]  
_

**A/N:** I'm honestly getting a bit sad about ending this, I've grown to love them so much.  
This is the LONGEST chap (Merlin, 9 bloody pages as Ron would put it) in this 10 chapter (minus the ep) story so that deserves a _**little**_** review** of max 10000 characters doesn't it..?  
Tell me how it's going, give me strenght to write the finish and _Thank you_ for reading this one too.


	9. IX: The Memories

**SwedishA/N:** Ron and Hermione (property of J.K.R) : Close your eyes and count to ten (Property of Lumos Maximum)  
9/10 minus Ep in this canon based love story, well we're closing up now aren't we…

**Ron/Hermione: Close your eyes and count to ten  


* * *

**

*  
"Nine. Nine. Nine!"  
"I'm done with it in a sec"  
"Good, it's getting dark in here with my eyes closed."  
"Really Hermione, that was bad."  
"Oh – at least I didn't rime with seven…"

* * *

IX :  
**The Memories**

The huge collection of frog cards that Hugo and Rose had collected since birth lay solemnly under Hugos childhood bed. Hermione picked them up and put them in his empty drawer where Hugo used to have his socks when he lived here. It was ironic how these plastic cards held people she knew and loved she though while she observed a frog card that caught her interest. Albus Dumbledore it said under the empty frame, she knew by heart that a white bearded man would appear when he felt for it in there with blue sparkling eyes and a bowl of lemon drop in his hands. She also knew that this was Roses and Albus favorite card and they often fought about it ("Albus I know that is the guy you were named by so let me have it. You already got his name for heaven's sake!" "But Rose, I want to have 50 before Christmas"). The most ironic part was that she too had a frog card that she held sacred in her pocket and would never give them up to a whining Albus or a furious Rose.

Hermione Jane Granger Weasley  
_September 19, 1979 – present._  
A muggle-born witch that is considered one of the brightest mind of her century. Mostly known as a companion to Harry Potter during the dark ages and assisting in the defeat of the darkest wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort, in 1998. Earlier in life known as the highest point collector and highest graded pupil in Gryffindors history and co founder of DA with Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. In later life known for being the founder of S.W.O.P and the revolutionary House-elf regulations, pro-pureblood restrictions and multiply wizard laws. Also active in the revolutionizing the Ministry of Magic. Enjoys herself with reading and wand knitting. Currently wife to Ronald Weasley and she is also known as a part of the Golden Trio.

And there she was, smiling behind a book in the little frame. She couldn't help but laugh as she picked up the other two cards that she'd been given a couple of weeks ago. First off was Harrys.

Harry James Potter  
_July 31, 1980 – present._  
The first wizard to survive the Killing Curse, earning the title "The Boy Who Lived". Most famously, for the defeat of the darkest wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort, in 1998 giving him the title "The Chosen One" and as a wizard world hero. Earlier in life known as the last parseltounge recorded, godson to the first escapee from Azkaban recorded and famous Sirius Black and the youngest tri-wizard champion winner. In later life known for being the only recorded Master of the Deathly Hallows and Head Auror and his work and revolutionizing the Ministry of Magic. Enjoys teaching Defence against dark arts as a founder of the teenage group DA with Hermione Weasley (née Granger) and Ronald Weasley and playing Quiddich. He is also known as the youngest seeker at ___Hogwarts School of_ Witchcraft and Wizardry since 100 years back. Harry Potter is recognized as a son to war heroes James Potter and Lily Potter (née Evans) and with features as a scar on his forehead. Currently husband to Ginny Potter (née Weasley) and he is also known as a part of the Golden Trio.

And there Rons card was, he had beamed that day he was handed this card from the makers of Chocolate Frog while Harry felt rather uncomfortable about the fact that his face would be a collector's item.

Ronald Billius Weasley  
_March 1, 1980 – present._  
A Wizard with heritage from one of the oldest Wizard families Weasley. Mostly known as a companion to Harry Potter during the dark ages and assisting in the defeat of the darkest wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort, in 1998. Early known as one of the finest chess players in Hogwarts history and co founder of DA with Harry Potter and Hermione Weasley (née Granger). In later life known for being an Auror and for his work with the revolutionizing the Ministry of Magic. Enjoys working at the family company Weasley Wizard Wheezes and supports Chudleigh Cannons. Also enjoys the position Keeper on the Quiddich field. Currently husband to Hermione Weasley (née Granger) and he is also known as a part of the Golden Trio.

"Hermione – look at this. They even mention my Chess game. This is brilliant Harry." Ron was saying and grinned at the Chocolate card he held dearly. She remembered his proud face so clearly.  
"Mine looks like a novel" Harry said frowning to himself when trying to read the small black inked text on his card with his already terrible eyesight.  
"We are most sorry sir, we couldn't fit all of your deeds there" a young man that represented the firm said and gave Harry an apologizing gaze.  
"Doesn't the picture show my scar – Why do you have to point it out and I'm not a _hero_!" was Harrys bitter response to the young man the card. She gave him a firm smack on his arm that he indeed deserved for not maintaining his regular poise.  
"Oh, Harry. Stop being such a Ron. One of the brilliant minds, me? Oh _Ron_ – this is amazing." She said tear-filled and honored not minding Rons attempt to fight her for that comment.  
"As a part of the Golden Trio" Ron started after calming down and held his card high over his head, Harry laughed at this  
" I want to let you know that this is our –" he continued but at this both Harry and she gave him the evil eyes to keep him from saying something inappropriate that would end up on the daily prophet.  
"No – _my_ finest hour."

This little memory always made her smile, the card had rested on her hand now and in there was all the achievements and accomplishments compressed into one little plastic card. All those memories.

.

.

.

Ron made it clear to the Malfoy boy that he was indeed the king of this kingdom and he ruled it… well at least until his queen arrived and hopefully Hermione was stuck at work. Despite this was the feeling of greeting a Malfoy into his home to dine with him as an equal was weird and highly wrong but holding a baby Malfoy in his hands couldn't be any more fantastic he admitted shamefully to himself.  
"What will you name this little one?" he said looking at his daughter who shot concerning looks at her husband. The Malfoy boy that he had invited under his roof and even accepted (after many rows with Hermione and a bogey-bat ex from Ginny) to be the father to this little boy in his arms was smiling vaguely towards him.  
"We don't know yet – possibly after my – eh, father and you" Scorpio said while his face slowly prepared to hear any arguments to why this beautiful baby boy should be named after his father-in-law's sworn arch enemy. The baby slept peacefully in his arms not knowing that his life was the legacy of an ending war between two ancient wizard families. It was not a good start for him to be named of two main warriors in that war.

"I see" was all he managed to say and glanced at the pale boy with the red hair.  
"But he is a Weasley, the hair says he is. Ron Draco Malfoy or Draco Ron Malfoy, either way I'm not sure your _good_ old man would fancy that." There was a stiff silence between Scorpius and him.  
"_Ronald_ dad…or William, I always liked Bills real name." Rose said easily not noticing the disturbing silence. Scorpius nodded at this with twinkles in his grey eyes when they rested on Rose. Ron had only seen that look in Hermiones eyes when she observed him.  
"Rose, we will call him Leo in the middle right? Like the _Gryffindor_ lion his mother is and after the stars… it is – it was a family tradition" Scorpius added with a bit sadness and looked for acceptance in both him and Rose.

There was a human side in this version of Malfoy he couldn't grasp; Scorpius gray eyes were now piercing his blues for some kind of acceptance. He also knew that Rose grabbed his hand under the table like he always grabbed Hermiones for support or sharing his love and she nodded to make him smile vaguely.  
"Very well" he assured them both and lifted his grandson William Leo to the skies.

.

.

.

"Granna" said a tiny two year old that belonged to Hugo. Hermione lift up the child from the floor into her knees and couldn't help but smile uncontrollably much. Why did Weasleys have a tendency to breed this quick? Sure, Rose had gone and married Scorpius Malfoy and got the now four year old William but Hugo, her sweet little Hugo wasn't even married yet. They breaded to quick for her taste, she guessed that is was all the love for one another they had, Ron was sure to not waste any of that and told her more than often that she was the greatest, smartest and even the cutest moving library he had ever laid his eyes on.  
"Hermione" she said while grabbing hold of the little boy. The tendency of getting boys was also a typical Weasley matter. This baby boy was an exact replica of her son at age two despite the green eyes he had inherits from his mother.  
"Her - Hermy" the boy said and pulling her nose while giggling. If Graup or Harry was here to see this she would regret it but she said it anyways.  
"Good Nicholas, Hermy" she whispered softly.  
"Turning soft with the nicknames now aren't you?" her husband voice echoed from behind and she knew by the tone of his taunting voice that a wide grin was playing on his lips.  
"Oh shut up you." She said smiling.

.

.

.

Rons son was getting married, managing to knock up the girl before the actual wedding was a bit orthodox for Rons wizarding heritage but still, _his son was getting married_. Muggles didn't mind kids before the wedding was how Hermione explained it and even told him that she was four before her parents got married. The child had been welcomed without second thought but Hugo was still getting married, today. Hugo stood there in a bowtie and looked as nervous as Harry looked the day he was getting married; he didn't want to admit it but probably as scared as he'd been looking at his wedding day. He couldn't help but smile when he looked at Hugos hands that held a wrinkled paper that was filled with small writings and underlining, some power words were circled and others were crossed over. This type of behavior was clearly Hermiones side of the genes.

"This won't work." Hugo said looking paler than after an encounter with a Devils Snare. However Hugo wouldn't mind that he thought.  
"Of course it will besides you already knocked her up son."  
"It's not why I'm marrying Sarah for the last time!" his son yelled. He was taken aback by that a bit. Sarah, the little girl that shared her toys with everybody seemed to be the only girl Hugo fancied and eventually ended up being the mother to Hugos son Nicholas.

"I'm sorry – it was just a joke. What won't work?" he said now with the supportive voice he had been training on since Hugo and Roses births. Hugo frowned and then took his time like he always did before he spoke.  
"This. Everything dad, she is a muggle and I don't know how to be a good husband. And the vowels… I haven't done that properly and then how will it work after." he said looking sadder and sadder for every reason he told his father.  
"I can tell you one thing about marriage – some days you have to work for it. Some nights you will cry over it – well not so much me but your mother cried a lot during the years. About being a good husband I consider myself a pro, just shut up if she tells you so and apologize a thousand times for being the git you were born to be. About being a muggle however… I wouldn't know now being a Weasley and all." He smiled at this but it didn't make Hugo less sad.  
"But marriage, muggles or not – I'm not going to lie but it's bloody hard." He added assuring.  
His son looked devastated; despite the fact that Hugo was 30 years old he felt obligated to consul his son with the small pieces of wisdom he had gained these 57 years of life.

"Don't get me wrong Hugo; it's the best thing I've ever signed up for."

.

.

.

"We're getting old Ronald" Hermione said to him an ordinary night before they went to sleep. They had spent their Saturday at Roses and Scorpious Manor to celebrate Williams seventh birthday. Hermione had realized how old they were getting when Harry and Ginnys kids James, Albus and Lily, their son Hugo, Teddy and Victorine, George and Angelinas kids Fred II and Roxanne, Bill and Fleurs kids Dominique and Louis and Percys kids Molly and Lucy were bringing their whole families as well. Being Weasleys it weren't small crowds they were dragging along but Scorpius being a Malfoy (exiled Malfoy but still) didn't have a small Manor that he gladly opened it to his best friend Albus and to his queen Roses huge family.

"Of course we sound old if you insist of calling me Ronald." He answered her. They were getting older, he could tell by the small wrinkles around their eyes and the stiffness he felt if he sat down for long. And he too had realized his aging when the growing Weasleys filled the Malfoy Manor earlier that day that he was turning into a fossil as William kindly called him to everyone's amusement. He may be 62 now but Hermione told him that fossils could easily be over a million years old.  
"You're still hot you know." He said while looking at her with puppy eyes. Hermione laughed, even her laughter was aging as it sounded dryer and more exhausted but there was still nothing as appealing as her laughter.  
"Still?" Hermione said offended. It was his turn to laugh.  
"It's easy like this – comfortable." He said while looking at his worn out hands from side to side.  
"It's still aging. Muggles fear this. They are creams and serums, not working of course but there is anti-wrinkle and – "Hermione started with her hands counting all the possible options she had to choose between. Hermiones wrinkles on the forehead appeared out of concentration and he couldn't help but smile. They were actually kind of fitting and smart through her bushy hair.  
"I'm aging with you now aren't I?" he said and grabbed her hand to kiss it. He was amazed by his laziness to lean in and steal a kiss from her.  
"I'll be old and boring – you won't care for me" Hermione muttered clearly in a crisis.  
"Books are old and boring but that doesn't keep you from carrying for them now does it?" he said smartly.

Hermione didn't say goodnight to him that night.

.

.

.

Days had passed, nights had been slept through. Birthdays celebrated more than manageable and and endless amount of kisses had been shared. Years had been flying in such a paste, when you lived your life everyday at the same speed, with the same routines it couldn't help but feeling a bit bland and despite the fact that Hermione didn't grow tired of Ron and Harry she had to admit that their "Golden Trio" tea breaks (as Ron called them to annoy both her and Harry) were moments when she thought that she would be wondering how girls were as friends.

They were sitting as usual around the kitchen with a cup of tea each. They had been discussing the ancient broken-heart disease that had been the downfall for Sibylla Trawleny for longing after a loved one. The disease intrigued Harry and her more to discuss than it did Ron who was familiar with the subject ("Oh, come on – I was raised as a wizard. All the evil witches in the children books used to die that way. Oh crack crack, oh boom, broken heart was the doom"). The sad thing wasn't the news itself, not that they hadn't agreed it was a horrible way to die but the fact that these kinds of news were the most interesting news they had to share among themselves this decade.

"Are we getting boring Harry?" she said at last and saw that Ron was becoming interested in participating again.  
"A bit" Harry admitted while sipping the boiling hot tea. It burned his tongue severely when he tried to speed up the drinking. Harry yelled when he burnt his tongue, serves him right for calling her boring.  
"We lived more than most during our teenage years Hermione" said Ron adopting her know-it-all voice. "Serves us right to be less interesting now" he rationalized.  
"So you're finally talking about that" Harry let out surprised. Ron was never fond of the idea of his teenage years being called the dark ages by historians.  
"Found my peace with it last week." Ron said easily.

After that the three of them started to have an uninteresting conversation about a hex that made the hexed rabble in Latin. When that died out Harry got closer to tell them about the real reason he visited them this oddly gray Wednesday – she had a feeling that Sibyllas broken heart wasn't the key event here and he had already told Ron so it had to be some kind of Auror business.

"Hungary is in horror" Harry started and got the attention of both his friends.  
" I believe that a wizard there I've discussed with the Head Auror in Hungary will rise. He doesn't want to believe it, simply saying that he is an escapee on the run." His voice rose with fury  
"_Like Sirius Black was._ So I told him that when the day comes, the day we will have to fight him he will eat his words. It will be my old blood spilled just as the brave Sirius Black blood was spilled by the lack of ministry action" he ended with a stern look.

She took a deep breath and spoke rapidly so the words wouldn't fail her.  
"What can we do Harry – we could help. I know we are old but we know everything there is about to know…"  
"He is not as evil as _Voldemort_ but there is a possibility that he could try to copy him. That's why I need help, if he makes a Horcrux…" he said but became interrupted by Ron choking on his tea from the loud exhale of air and probably her extreme inhale that sucked in all the air out of the room.  
"Horcrux?" Ron whispered and grabbed her hand under the table because he was not even believing that anybody would even imagine doing that awful ever again.  
"Oh, Harry" she said knowing that her repeating his name was the only reasonable thing she could think of.  
" I would never ask you two to do something that would hurt you but you are the only people I trust. If he creates _one_ you have to help me destroy _it_ in silence so I can… end him" Harry ended.  
Harry looked much older all the sudden with wrinkles twitching all over his face with concern for them both. Ron gripped her hand tightly under the table even harder and they both looked and pitied at Harry in silence, neither of them knew what to say  
"But Voldemorts evil was beyond comparing but if we don't – _I_ don't save – take action –"Harrys words died out again.

.

.

It hurt Hermione too look at Harry, Ron knew this by the small tears in her left eye. It even hurt him to see his best friend feeling like that despite all the years that had passed and wars he fought and won. Harrys face lacked the human emotion of horror, fright and terror. It was the lonely feeling of obligation in his face, in the twitches of his legs as he spoke of dark magic and when he held a steady grip of his wand. When he thought of it Harry had been holding his wand that way for so many years, it was never well for Harry for long periods of time. Never had been, never would and for him, Hermione and even Ginny for that fact they had to live in great sadness knowing that Harry never felt that he protected them enough or even secure or sure that he would live longer than today.  
They waved him goodbye while holding each other tightly. When he started to take freedom and peace for granted he realized that it wasn't a fact – it was a state of mind.

"Have I told you that I love you lately?" Hermione said slowly with sadness in her voice when the shadow of Harry disappeared in the dark night.  
"No – but I think you just did. Have I told you that I love you?" he said just as slowly with more worry than sadness in his voice.  
"No – I don't think so" Hermione said while thinking about it and tried to smile when he knew she was concerned over the new news.  
"Well I do you know, love you that is" He said and the voice cracked.  
"I love you too" she answered softly.

He held her tightly, appreciating the feeling of having her close to his beating heart and feeling her breaths against his neck. He felt her warmth spread around his body and her hands grabbing every little inch of his back that they could to hold on tightly. He held her closer to feel every inch of her, almost squeezing her and she filled his ears with a relaxed laughter that sounded like the sweetest melody in his ears that turned warm. He would never let her go from his arms where she would be safe and at home.

.

.

She enjoyed herself in his arms that moment despite the fact that it wasn't something unordinary. The deep breaths she took were to smell his hair knowing that it had been a while since she took her time when she was in his arms. She was reminded about the Amortentia by his smell – the strongest love potion in the world that had smelled exactly like this. Like Ron. With that in mind she could almost swore that Ron had spiked her tea with Amortentia everyday their whole married life because it was impossible to feel something this magical for someone without any drip of magic.

.

.

.

* * *

_Chapter tease..  
_The taste of the blood running down his face was now mixing in his dry mouth but he refused to give up and leave Harry and _her _alone under a war again. He stood up, ready to pay his debts but seconds later he saw a flash of light being the reason it all went black, like the life was disappearing and the last voice he heard was pure panic. It was...  
_Review._


	10. X:The End

**SwedishA/N:** It's just this one and the epilogue left, _herregud_. It felt like ages but it's soon to be finished. I've plotted it out once, rewritten it twice, rethought it trice and didn't feel confident in it more than a million but this is the result. A bit fluffy to break off from the everyday life with Rose and Hugo these last chaps. No ownership and ... Stick around for the ep and then… well then we'll say our goodbyes.

* * *

"Ten!" Hermione said after a long count. She opened her eyes slowly…_  
What she saw is in the epilogue.  


* * *

_X: **  
The End**

Ron didn't respond when voices from a far yelled his name because it all sounded muffled in his ears. Blood was flooding down his face and the dust tasted horrible in his dry mouth as he tried to breathe to keep alive. He was petrified but still willing to fight until the last breath in his stiff body. He heard the hexes and curses being yelled from the other room and he knew that every father, mother, sister, brother, son and daughter in the office were there in the rooms far away. He needed to be there in battle, to save his co workers, his best friend and _her_. After a weak attempt to stand up despite the pain his body he collapsed to the ground and hit his head on the glass table next to him. The taste of the blood running down his face was now mixing in his dry mouth but he refused to give up and leave Harry and _her _alone under a war again. He stood up, ready to pay his debts but seconds later he saw a flash of light being the reason it all went black, like the life was disappearing and the last voice he heard was pure panic. It was Harrys voice who cut through his heart like a rusty knife.

The Burrows didn't feel as inviting as it usually did this particular day. The house was filled with all the Weasley-Potter related persons you could cram in there. Chairs were placed all over the familiar living room for the elders and all the grown up children with their small kids sat on every little step of the stairs, chairs and piece of floor they could find. Wizards and witches had come from all over the world and sat outside on the badly treated lawn in a manner that made it look like the Quiddich Cup was held inside. The house itself beamed with such exquisite uniqueness as always but who could blame the old house for not feeling the sadness of the people inside of it. The silence almost disturbed the Weasley household in a way it did a few times earlier in history. It was the weight of death.

Harry Potter had died.

Ron personally wanted to leave his childhood home with all the familiar faces and just run away, not coming back, not facing it. He didn't want to admit this but he wanted to cry rivers and he knew that he was close to doing that any minute. Hermione couldn't control her tears however; she sat stiffly on a chair next to him and breathed so carefully that he felt scared of losing her too. He rested his hand on top of hers but the hollowness couldn't be filled with his hand there, nothing could. The one feeling they both felt this hour was an excruciating pain and loss of their brother and friend. Even in his death he saved lives and that was made the sorrow so painful. Harry died as he lived, in fear, in battle, in pain but never without doing good. Harry left his legacy to the wizard world but his kids that were crying didn't care about the never ending duty Harry Potter felt he had.

Ron hugged his sister now; she was as pale as the dead. He fought it but her tears made him shed his too. Hermione was far away across the room hugging Lily Luna who couldn't control her outbursts but their eyes were at each other's eyes, both crying and comforting each other with one look. Rose held Albus hand but Albus didn't react to the world around him. All over the Burrows were hugs, kisses and comforting words that didn't make the tears stop falling from the wounded people around, it was James II humble words of comfort that defined the pain in the room. James sat alone on a stair step and was comforting his new born baby while he cried in the painful silence.  
"Don't cry little Harry, Everything will be fine you'll see" James whispered.

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Teddy Lupins Sonoroused voice told the crowd outside that the burial of Harry Potter was taking place at this moment. The Burrow got emptied out in a slow paste but Ron sat in the end of the room slowly sobbing before putting on a plastered smile and stood up to walk towards Hermione and trying to look as supportive as he could. Survivors guilt Hermione though when she hugged Ron tightly.

"I'm so sorry Hermione." Ron whispered not knowing what or why he was sorry. The events from that horrible night when they'd lost Harry couldn't be blamed on him or anyone there. Harry had fought like he always did, without any regrets and fear besides the fear of fearing something or losing one of his loved ones. Evil had taken over that night and the result was this horrible day.

"I'm so sorry too Ron." She said not knowing what of why she was sorry. She was there, she had promised Harry to listen and obey anything he told her to be able to help with the assignment that she had knowledge about from the past. Harry had brought her there for one reason only and that was to destroy a Horcrux and Harrys goal was to finish the rising of the Hungerian Horror to make it safe _again_. They were over twenty wizards and witches in that old house fighting an army of animals, people and hexes beyond their count but she was told that her job was to find and to end the piece of soul living in a tiny doll that was the Horcrux. Harrys voice echoed through her mind when she thought of what he yelled 'DON'T do anything that might hurt you' before she entered the dark child bedroom and after that it was only her and a tiny beaded doll smiling viciously. The Horcrux had some black evil around it so she had to fight it a long time, too long before she finally started to stab the Horcrux with the Basilisk tooth. It had to be old age that ripped her body in pieces and made her go cold as she stabbed the Horcrux for the last time but she was determent to not fall down from the pain when Harry and _he_ needed her.

"I should have been there with him and – and you but I left _again_" Ron blamed himself and buried his face in his hands.  
"Don't blame yourself – that was a long time ago, and you came back… you always do. It was my fault" she pleaded and forced herself into his comforting arms.  
"No it's not your – "  
"But it _is!" _she burst out.

Harry had demanded her to go and evacuate them all from the house right after the sign of mission completed. It wasn't before she heard the cold laughter from the modern evilness and the rare sound of Harrys scream of panic that made her realize that she was in a war. Waving her wand furiously to protect Harry while he nobly forced her to save Ron was bringing old memories back that she hadn't felt for so many years. While in chock and tear-filled she dragged Ron out to the lawn and ran back into the curse filled house to save and aid the others but she found herself tangled into a nasty tangling curse. It was what Harry did after seeing her scream that she blames herself for, what she can't forget.

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.

Harry had seen her pain among the others so he waved his wand in the air to make a ring of fire around him and the Hungerian Horror. The ring was slowly closing in to their death and the Hungerian Horror realized what was to happen before any of them did.  
"You are the only one dying tonight Harry _Potter_, I can't die" the Horror had roared towards Harry. The sight of them both through the flames was horrid.  
"You didn't guard your little daughters doll as well as she wanted you to do" Harry said calmly.  
"How did – she told me to protect it before she… and _you _Harry Pottercame to disobey"

The flames became wilder now and she realized what noble Potter was doing, Harrys grin had never been this unwelcome to see through the enchanted flames.  
"HARRY!" she yelled in vain while trying to do something with her wand. _  
Aguamenti, Aguamenti please magic Aguamenti._  
"Aren't you afraid of death? Even you are mortal Harry Potter" the Horror had hissed filling the house with coldness but terror as he knew of his coming death.  
"Don't wear out my name Gregely, I'm quite fond of." Was all Harry replied.  
"How dare you – why don't you fear death?" the Hungerian Horror hissed.  
"I've already died once and escaped it more than any –" Harry said coldly but his voice changed into a sweet warm sound and turned his head towards her.  
" Hermione, I love you and Ron and – and tell Ginny and – them all that I love them too." Harry had said and she saw his green eyes pleading for forgiveness for leaving her behind.  
"Harry! NO! Please Harry. Stop the flames _someone_" she had been crying out before getting tangled much harder in by the curse causing her to lose her breath.

"Love – is it what driven you to this Potter" had the Horror hissed back. Harry had started to laugh a most inappropriate laughter, it was the laughter he laughed when he taunted them for having Rose marrying a Malfoy, the laughter he reserved for James more harmless pranks or Teddys outrageous hair… it was Harrys trouble less laughter.  
"If not love _Gergely_, what is there to fight for?" Was Harry Potters last worlds and the flames swallowed him and along an ice-cold scream was a relived laughter that Hermione knew was Harry meeting his end with a smile.

"Harry – Harry saved us all" she said while her voice broke, it wasn't comforting in some kind of way.  
"I know… I guess he wouldn't have it another way." Ron said with the same kind of broken voice that she had. Ron wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she kissed his hand, nodded and stepped out to face the burial of her best friend.

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"…and his memory will be with all the people he saved, the whole wizard community and with me" Hermione said and fell silent. Hermione moved away to let him take place to hold his speech but refused to let his hand go. He didn't mind neither because all he wanted was to feel her warm hand so he would be sure that she was alive and next to him.

"Harry Potter was my best friend, he was a brother for me and I knew that I was like one for him to. My wife and I was his first family but all the people that met him loved him; we all respected him and became a piece of his family. He was and will always be a symbol of hope and for me a symbol of true friendship. Harry Potter was not only the boy-who-lived but the boy who let us live. He never spoke the killing curse, never acted egoistic and _never_ denied anyone who wanted rescue or a friend. I want you all to know that my best friend, that Harry Potter want peace after the life he lived. I know this because he fought against darkness his whole life without resting so I want you to honor his memory by giving him light." He said and removed the "Sonorus" charm from his throat.

This was officially the biggest funeral the wizard world had ever had. The crowd that came to mourn him held their wands and mumbled Lumos to fill the starry sky they all stood under. However he saw his sister whispering something to her three children and seconds later they all smiled behind their flooding tears and produced four Patronuses. He saw a horse that was Ginnys and a doe that was Lilys, a snake that was coming out of the tip of Albus wand and a familiar stag from James wand. They all thought of Harrys memory he knew it but he couldn't find the slightest happiness in this day.

The burial went quickly and Harry was left to rest a few steps from Fred the first grave.  
Or so the wizard world though.

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"He'd like this." Ginny whispered to her children that nodded silently behind their tears. Ron held Ginny in his arm and Hermione produced the same kind of flowers that she had when Harry and needed to put something on his parents graves all those years ago. Harry was buried at Godric's Hollow by Ginny, Ron, Teddy, Harrys three grown up children and her. It was to give Harry the chance to be free at last knowing that the famous Harry Potters grave would turn into a tourist attraction.  
"I know he would" Ron said looking at Harrys unmarked gravestone next to Lily Evans Potter. Hermione carved in a few words with the tip of her wand that she knew that Harry was to modest to adopt.

"Here lies a hero."

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It was grief, it was pain, it was the nightmares, it was the blame or maybe the thrashing that kept Ron up all these nights. If he felt this awful he couldn't bear the thought of Ginny in Roses room and still the death had occurred a whole year ago, tonight was the anniversary he didn't want to celebrate. He had resigned the Auror work the day after Harrys death and fell into a wizards early retirement, enough with the darkness was the last sentence he said before leaving his resignation papers. Hermione however started to work harder and longer probably to hide the loss and guilt she felt. She buried herself in piles of paper and became tense and fragile when he asked her about what she was doing, she was always like that was what he reasoned before kissing her temple and letting her drown back in her books. He smiled to himself as he thought of this little anecdote and all those small things he hated and loved at the same time... Still troubled by sleep and lying with his back towards Hermione the thought of her far away from his arms made him think of the thought of not being with her _at all _and felt awfully alone all the sudden.

"Hermione, Hermione, _Herm_" he whispered. He didn't get an answer, she didn't have problem with sleep obviously and he envied her for that. He took her closer towards him and kissed her warm neck before feeling safe enough to close his eyes.

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Hermione couldn't answer him, what would she say that couldn't worry him... That she too was sleepless but not only for seeing Harry in a circle of flames every time she closed her eyes but for other reasons that she couldn't bear telling him. She had done a horrible discovery and worked day and night to find the solution but there were so few hours on a day. And so it hurt again, she had never kept anything from Ron but this wasn't about trust, it was about well being. Ron thought she was fine and that little fact kept him happy so she knew that continuing her faked sleep would do them both well.

Ron knew that Hermione was awake, her breathing wasn't this controlled he thought when he had wrapped his arms around her body to feed his ache of missing her. He'd spent much time with his kids on his lap when they were little and an endless amount of time with studying every part and inch of Hermiones body and how it worked. He sensed the trouble in her breaths and the grief she hid behind her working characters were visible in her shivers.  
How could he sleep when she was troubled?

"I love you – Don't leave me because I will never leave you" He whispered knowing he wouldn't get an answer as she was determined to pretend sleep. It wasn't enough to tell her that he _loved_ her, she had to know how much he felt for her. The glimpses of her from the moons pale shine that snuck in from the window gave him some strength to carry his words out.

"I will always keep you safe because you are more to me than life."

Hermiones heart leaped at the words Ron said to her in her fake sleep and she snuggled herself nearer Rons aging body and felt his lips smile towards her neck. There had been mixed hints of love, fear and hurt in his voice but there was no doubt that his words were as enchanting as always.

That night they both slept calmly for the first time in a whole year.

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.

It was never this gray, the living room Ron thought and even when he stared at Hermiones face across the living room table he couldn't see any traces of color. It was a mess of gray darkness that consumed all the vivid colors they had decorated their home with, it was slowly turning from dark grey into oblivion black.

"It was the Horcrux Ron and how could I tell you, how could I tell anyone – not even Harry knew this happened." The name Harry left a hurting echo in the living room only two months after the one horrible year anniversary of his death day.  
"It should have been me Hermione – I should protect you, I vowed you that much."  
"Please don't blame yourself and don't blame Harry" she said sadly.  
"I don't blame him, I would never Hermione. I do not blame anyone." He said even sadder than her.  
"I don't know what to say." Hermione whispered "And I'm sorry but I had to be sure before I… I told you this" she added. Hermione had probably read any book she could come across, read every study, every paper and article until she admitted that this time the reading couldn't save her.  
"I don't know why you think I can't handle things Hermione. Haven't I proven to be a good husband these last twenty something years?"  
"Actually forty next month on Wednesday" Hermione corrected him with her know-it-all voice. He rolled his eyes at this and she gave him a crushed smile.  
"Really, forty already?" he said clearly off topic while he smiled towards a beaming Hermione.  
They smiled and endless amount of time against each other until he dared to ask her what he feared.

"But you will live…right?"

Her silence was painful.

"Hermione…" but instead of an answer from her he saw tears welling down her cheeks and felt his own start. All the air left his lungs, his heart stopped and his brain tuned out; the only thing he felt was tears filling him up and finding their way out.  
"I don't want to lose you, I know that our kids are having kids but I want eternity." He said while crying as he never cried before. He didn't care about keeping it from her; he didn't care for anything really right now. She was everything and everything was her.  
"Do you think I wanted this? I did every little thing I could to counter but the days – even a time turner couldn't. It's the days Ron, and they aren't enough." She said now crying hysterically.

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He had just been told by Hermione that the dark magic around and in the Horcrux had affected her body in a terrible way that made her slowly die. Hermione had done everything to prevent and make her life longer but as it was about to come to an end she couldn't do more and he knew that his wife, one of the cleverest witches this century had done everything in her might to do something about her destiny. He was going to lose her and it was all because time refused to slow down.

She told him she was going to die; how do you tell someone you love that you have to go, that you go for eternity and will not be able to walk back even if you wanted to. That one of these days would be the last time you could feel the warmth on that person's skin and that he could feel it back. He cried much worse than she had ever seen him cry and she felt the feeling of hopelessness rush through her body. A sudden death like Harrys had been so much easier to handle but again, what kind of death is uncomplicated to the people around it?

"I'm so sorry Ron" She whispered not knowing why.  
"Bloody hell Hermione, don't – don't say that …we have to try to live now." Ron said trying to sound as steady as he could behind his tear-filled eyes .  
"No – we will live. We can't think about this, we won't do it and Hermione…" he stopped to maintain his poise "we won't tell Hugo and Rose. They wouldn't be able to live and we have to do this. We have to live."

She couldn't figure out that thing with Ron, he could be emotionally mental sometimes but when the words were needed the most he always knew what to say. He had done it a lot of times during his lifetime and every time his words were spoken people felt emotionally safe because if Ron could keep his emotions in check _anyone_ could. Ron had managed to master this many crucial times (one being his bold proposal and the other being at their wedding) but it was now, when she was walking towards her death that his words had healed all the wounds the best way they could. She would live for him.

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They were not as young as they should've been but that didn't matter. They both flew without any fear, stiffness or care that dark night. Hovering so far from safe ground Hermione realized that her fear and inability of flying a broom was that she feared the broom itself but now…

"Look Ron, no hands!" and she laughed loudly filling the heavens with her laughter.  
"You are mental! When did _you_ learn to fly?" Ron yelled and looped around her to make her dizzy by the blur of midnight blue, Weasley red and broomstick brown that Ron turned into.  
This was absolutely crazy, they were old, fossil old and flying brooms like they were eleven but it was amazing and breathtaking. It was thrilling and she felt so alive, she was one with the stars but trying to reach them with her free hands in the air. Ron got her drift and flew higher and higher.

"Where are you going?" she asked and gripped her broom to follow him up toward the stars.  
"I'm going to get you a star" Ron yelled while he laughed childishly.  
"That's impossible" she roared between her laughter's but she didn't mind seeing him try.  
"I know, but we can play make-believe can't we?" Ron shouted back with the same childishly laughter she had fallen in love with those first years.  
Why should she play make-believe when she already lived a fairytale? She looked at the man that let his vivid red hair cover his face and his robes fluttering carelessly in the wind. He was amazing, he truly was and maybe for one day she thought she could wish for something beyond all the things her heart ever dreamt about.

"You know what – why don't we try to catch one." She shouted back despite the lack of logic in her suggestion and as they flew higher and higher passing the moon that lid up the sky she understood; they may be aiming for the twinkling stars but she already had heaven flying next to her.

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"No – Hermione wake up" Ron said petrified. They were laying next to each other in the magically enlarged couch and watched a particularly boring program at the muggle TV while the snow fell outside, their Christmas guest left only hours ago and it took all Hermiones strength and wit combined with Rons determent patience to keep the guests thinking that Hermione was in fact more than ok.  
"Wake up" he commanded.  
"What… is…it" Hermione frowned, clearly not happy to see his face. He didn't mind seeing her sour, at least she was there.  
"Don't ever sleep without saying that you love me." He said silently.  
"I wasn't… I love you Ron. I really do" she said with gloomy eyes.  
"And I love you, so much" he said and let her sleep next to him again while stroked her cheek.

The days were fleeing so fast away from him that he couldn't bear the thought sleep. He didn't want to miss a single moment of Hermione even if she was sleeping. She was doing that a lot nowadays and she was weaker than he'd ever seen her. He walked around the house ready to cry at any time but he held himself alive, living just for her.

"Hermione – wake up" he said shaking her sleeping body. She let out a sound that told him that he was allowed to talk but wasn't being liked for it.  
"I think that we should go to Australia. There is sun there and I thought – "  
"It sounds nice" she said weakly.  
"You could find some peace there and the days will – "he continued but the words died out as he started to feel tears in his eyes.  
"End" She said calmly. Hermione had found peace with her destiny. He was trying to find peace, trying to understand that her days were ending any day soon and with that his days were ending too.

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Hugo cried, Rose did too. Ron tried to comfort his grown up children as well as Hermione tried to. They did fail miserably at this impossible task. Hugo was hysterical and beyond control and Rose was silent and hurting in her insides. He couldn't determine what hurt him most; to see Hugo who seemed to collapse in Hermiones arms or Rose who froze in front of her mother not able to touch her.

"I – I can't, Dark Magic mum why-I don't understand." was everything Rose managed to get out after mumbling every healer advice she had in her head and flipping the whole library of books upside-down her previous room. It took two hours before Rose started to realize that this was probably the last time she saw her mother and hell broke loose. Hugo was comforting his sister while he cried silently. Hermione was sitting in a chair and looked much older than she'd ever done. He felt the grief that his children felt when Hermione decided to speak.  
"I want you to know that I love you and I love the grandchildren I've been granted to meet and those who will come and I – " she burst into tears after keeping calm all these hours and even if her voice broke they all heard her motherly words.  
"I will guard you, always".

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The tile in the Australian Hotel felt even colder against her naked feet than last time Hermione was here. Nothing had changed in this hotel really besides the person that stood in front of the mirror. Maybe she had changed more than her age, maybe Ron had too. Maybe their life stories were at their last chapters and waiting to be finished. There were more maybes than answers.

"Oi – are you done yet?" a voice said from the other side of the bathroom door.  
"In a minute." She said and started to put on a dress Ron bought her as a gift earlier. She couldn't stop thinking that it resembled the one she wore at the Yule Ball and despite all those years she felt as beautiful in that dress today as she did at the Yule Ball day she made Rons heart leap.

Maybe they hadn't changed that much she thought before she opened the bathroom door to meet Rons eager face, it didn't matter she realized because she was here, with him and as she opened the door he was quick on grabbing her hand as support; always ready to hold her close to him.

"You look beautiful Hermione…" Ron said and she saw that his ears turned red with insecurity like they hadn't done for so many years. Ron looked as he was embarrassed or afraid of failing with something, how could he forget that he already had her heart? That didn't matter because he started to drag her into the center of the room that she once recognized as their hotel room.  
"Can I ask you to go to the Yule Ball with me?" Ron added now while she twirled around in the room to look at it.  
"Ron! This is amazing – it's beautiful" she said with both hands on her heart and tiny traces of tears in the corner of her eyes. The sight was more than she expected when she left the bathroom in her new dress, their bed was magically removed from the center of the room, their clothes was carefully put in the waredrobe, many different candles were lid and filled the room with a damp light and the room was now filled with…

"Well – I've gotten quite good... I understand if you get bored by them" Ron said with flaming red ears while she stared at all the blue roses that shifted between dark blue to light blue. She knew that the strength of the color showed his emotions – they were mixed of strong blue happiness and weak blue sorrow.  
His blue roses.  
"No – they are the most beautiful…" and her words died out.

"So will you go with me?" Ron said grinning towards her with her hands in his. She couldn't but help feeling all the love rush through her body as she tried to project it to Ron with one single glance. She had no doubt that he miss understood her eyes so he waved his wand towards the magical radio to turn it on.  
"Always wanted" she said smiling and they began to twirl to the slow waltz from the enchanted radio.

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They had been dancing and laughing for hours and were now laying in their hotel bed with the slow waltz echoing in the background, they didn't bother changing clothes or take of their shoes even. This would be the most romantic setting Ron thought as he stared into Hermiones deep brown eyes that were lit up for him to admire by lonely candles. But it was cold and he tried to feel brave, strong and heroic.

"You feel it too, don't you?" Hermione whispered and looked at him with her sad beautiful eyes.  
He felt the life and the hope leave his body as he held her cold body against her but he refused to let go of her. The touch of her skin against his own made him feel like having a Dementor hovering over them but still not harming him enough to suck the soul out. Despite the nonexistence of dementors he felt his soul slipping through his finger along with her rasping breathing for her life equaled his soul.  
"Ron?"  
"I feel it too Hermione"

The slow music in the background faded away and the silence scared her as much as it scared him.  
"I'm scared Ron" Hermione whispered to him now; the first time after admitting that she was about to die she admitted that she too was afraid.  
"I'll be here" was the only thing he could say but it felt so helpless and stupid.  
But she knew.  
She always did.

"I feel tired"

Her weak voice echoed and hurt him graver than any of her words ever did. She knew they brought him to warm and heartrending tears. This was the worst way you could leave this earth, slowly, painfully and leaving the suffering to the one you'd do anything to protect she thought.  
"No - not now Hermione. We need more time" Ron sobbed while choking in this own words.  
"It's just – I have to be brave Ron" she barley whispered not trusting her own words as they left her lips. Her body fought for just another hour, minute and even the slightest second  
"I – I don't want you to go." Ron wept with the cracking voice and she felt his salty tears on her hand as they fell from his cheeks.  
"I love you Ron, I've lived beyond my dreams. Please don't stop living."  
"How will I live _without_ you?"  
"Live _for_ me"  
They kissed shortly behind the tears that flooded both their cheeks.  
"For you" he said with a wrenching voice "And I love you too – I always had, I always will."

Hermione felt cold like ice now, the darkness swooped around her and the feeling of being dipped into a pool of ice was taking over all the control in her tired body that fought for its last seconds. She shut her eyes and rested her head on his heart. His body was boiling hot against her cold one. The last moments she had left was spent to memorize the smell of him, the feel of him, the touch of him and the breaths he took so she would be able to keep them with her when she left. She had a lifetime of memories and remembered with a smile on her lips that she was special and not just special in being magical but special in being his. She felt her heart beats fade away and his heart beat quicker and quicker, gaining all the life she had left. If she could sleep before the pain came it would be over quickly was her though and let sleep slowly swoop over her.  
"Ron, forever"  
she let out and felt his grip tighten tenderly around her body so with those words she left the troubling state she was in and fell into a calm sleep that she would never wake up from.

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* * *

_My heart cracked into pieces, I'm actually sitting here tear-filled but it happened. From the beginning to the end.  
It happened, It really did._

**_Review. _**_And thank you._


	11. Epilogue

**SwedishA/N:** So here, I won't make this note longer than it has to be but I wanted to thank all the helpful reviewers (you know who you are) this story and by that giving me fuel to write it to finish line. Hopefully my Post-Potter-Depression MIGHT be cured after almost two months on (I know, 2 years late but hey!). And a secret? I always thought that H/Hr was JKR way to go… but Ron and Herm does wonders and so here we are; I've always pictured Ron to be the one to outlive them all, he seemed most healthy probably with his excessive eating (a problem I too share with Ron). So with a lot of nonsense that you didn't want to read and a slap on the cheeks if you don't review I give you **the epilogue.**

**Close your eyes and count to ten**

* * *

_**Epilogue**_

"I could say a lot of words but there are no more words to explain what she means to me. She was my best friend, my companion, my girlfriend, my fiancé, my wife but mostly my soul mate. The words I love you will never do and so will not the word eternity."  
Ron voice stopped there but not his tears.  
The crowd standing up to hug and comfort each other broke the silence that ringed in his ears.  
With a wave on his wand the palest blue of roses came out. It was almost white but he saw the slightest shift in it and knew that it was for her, all for her. He grabbed it and placed it on her grave among all the flowers and knew that she would appreciate the pale blue rose more than all the bouquets he could go out and get her. He looked one last time at the words he had carved in himself with his crooked handwriting and with that he walked away from it, leaving his children and his other half of soul behind with the dark grey gravestone.

Hermione Jane Granger Weasley  
"Here lies a goddess that was more than this world"

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It had been eight lonely years without her. Since the day he befriended her by clubbing down a troll in the girls toilets Ron hadn't spent this long without her. The summer breaks between Hogwarts years were the longest and he had to admit that even those summers were long enough. The first years were the hardest; he purely lived to live, ate to eat and talked to be heard. Nothing mattered really he though and if it wasn't for Rose, Hugo and their growing families he wouldn't have the strength to live.  
And he remembered his promise, he would live. If not for himself –for her.

He was entering his bedroom to sleep like any other night in the gray surroundings the room became and froze in front of the bed. Hermiones side of the bed was always untouched and the bed was made properly on her side; he used to sit on her end of the bed sometimes to try to feel her presence there but he couldn't feel a thing. Everything was as she left it; her drawers were untouched and dusty with history resting on then, the books in the living room stayed unread, her favorite chair in her study wasn't warm and the fine china she got from her grandparents at their wedding wasn't used anymore when Rose, Hugo or any other in fact came to keep him company. These things were keeping him from life so after an awkward intervention by Rose and the adult William he knew what he had to do.

It got to the point that he locked her study completely to not be reminisced about her ambitiousness that he always admired and envied. He hadn't thought of that for long – her study being locked and he felt his heart ache as it had done so many times these eight years as he thought of her. He could feel that every time he thought of her his heart cracked a small fraction so the steps out of the bedroom down to her study filled with memories of her was a walking pain. His hands twisted the door open without any magic to reveal the pieces left of Hermione.

There she was, in her books, in her chair, in her desk, in her everything. Everything in this room reminded him of her because she had carefully filled it from bottom to top with anecdotes, books, quills and parchment. Between all the heavy law books and ministry files he found a little solemn book that tore him up. That he was actually feeling emotional over a book was such a Hermione thing he though and tried to smile silently to himself but he couldn't manage that, not here in her room. He tried to reach the book it but it was too high up in the filled bookshelf. The rare smile he forbid himself finally spread across his face now; she probably planed this before she… because she wasn't that tall at all and she wouldn't do that to a book or more importantly _that_ book without any meaning behind it.  
And she knew, she always did.

"Wingardium Leviosa" he cried and made the book levitate in the thin air before it dropped into his hands. The book itself wasn't the thing that made him tear-filled at the moment but it was the memories the book held. He shut his eyes trying to vision the memory of this book and there he saw her so many years ago after forcing her to count to ten to her and his amusement. She had looked so happily towards him with her eyes opened.

.

...

.

Hermione opened her eyes and her eyes fought with getting accustomed to the room that bathed in light. What was started as a count to ten felt like an eternity but she didn't mind it at all. When they started to work properly she found herself looking at a beautifully wrapped present that Ron held in his hand.  
"Read the card first" Ron started when she started to unwrap the present.

_Happy 40__th__ anniversary Wife  
Much Love From Your Husband_

"Catchy" she said while laughing.  
"Well, you couldn't count any more distracting now could you" he snapped but turned into a smiling Ron in a second. When she finally opened the package she found a very rare book. This book was light and the picture on the cover was a picture of her entire family. She knew that this photo was taken at the 10th birthday of Hugo all those years ago; they all smiled and waved their hands. Harry and Ginny with three kids pulling at their cloaks, Teddy Lupin at Harrys left smiling a very Harry-like smile. Bill and Fleur, Percy, her parents, George… they were all there.  
Ron had gotten her a photo album.  
"Look at the back." Ron said so she turned it. It was a picture of Ron and her on their wedding day twirling on the dance floor. The photo-Ron and photo-Hermione in the picture kissed each other and looked like they were the happiest photo in the world. She kissed Ron and gave him a big smile.  
"Ron…"  
"You don't have to say anything. Read the last page inside, I tried to make it well – _romantic_." Hermione opened the book at the last page and saw Rons crooked handwriting that hadn't changed since the days she spent reading his essays in Hogwarts; although his quality on essays wasn't that bad she had to admit that what he wrote down on this book in her hands was by far the best thing Rons writing had ever done.

_"I wanted to give you forever. This is forever."_

Hermione knew that Ron liked the gift he had given her by the twinkling eyes he had laid on her. They were photos of all their time together from beginning to the end and she laughed as she turned the pages and pointed enthusiastically at the moving people. It started from pictures of when they were as small as first grade, some nosy Hufflepuff kid had been taking photos of them that day and Hermione and Ron looked proud of themselves as they received their points, after that they were poor Colin Creevys collection of photos, a shot from a DA classroom, one of Ron in his Quiddich attire (to her great amusement) and it continued to their post-Hogwarts life…

"Oh – remember that day" she said pointing at a picture of her and Ron in Australia while scuba diving magically.  
"Yeah, didn't I almost drown there?"  
"I remember that – didn't you force me to play your doctor all night?" she asked him.  
"If I remember that night correctly and believe me I do, I was the doctor" Ron said grinning.  
She punched him on the arm laughing and continued to turn the pages eagerly and pointed at all the photos in the album. There were pictures of her with her abnormally huge belly while carrying Rose, a picture of Ron hugging Harry before James was born, Hugo kissing Roses cheeks and seconds later Rose crying, Ron, Rose, Hugo and herself in her parents' house, Hugo falling for the fourth time on a bicycle, Ron getting chased by a lot of children and Lily laughing at her Aunt Hermione falling from a broomstick… "That one hurt" she said while laughing along the whole crowd in the photo that was roaring at the Hermione in the picture. The little photo-Hermione was giving a roaring photo-Ron a mad looking stare.  
"Merlin, you were vicious on that one" Ron said surprised when the little photo-Ron left the photo with a running photo-Hermione after him.

There was a photo of them dancing, eating dinner, fighting over a hideous shirt, smiling stiffly next to their children's spouses while hugging their grandchildren and even photos where Ron waved happily to the camera man after passed his first and second driving test.

"We are really handsome there aren't we" Ron said and teased Hermione about photo that Hugo took while they were sleeping in each other arms in front of the TV.  
"Well – I look better than you do there. Is that drool Ronald?" she said and looked to the stain on the photo-Rons green shirt.  
"I think its Butterbeer." Ron said frowning after analyzing the stain. She couldn't brace herself from laughter now and neither could he.  
Ron was happy, she knew by one glare at his and she was beyond happy. This was a book that showed how life turned out and it was enchanted from the start to the finish.  
"It's perfect." She said beaming.

.

...

.

He came back from his memories when he opened his eyes and found himself standing in the same study. He looked through the photo album and smiled as his life went by in the moving photos. When he finally came to the last page he came to see the words he had written with his crooked handwriting. His heart leaped at the sight of someone's clean and very small handwriting, under his quote _"I wanted to give you forever. This is forever."_

_"That's what you gave me"_

He felt his heart crack of longing after her and felt weaken so he grabbed the book with him and locked the study up to preserve it like Hermione would want it and headed back to his bed. The night fell outside and he felt that this night was a beautiful night and for the first time in so many years the thought of her made him feel more than just destroyed, he felt unpleasant longing. He glanced around in the house while he moved; he missed her intensely now when he stared at the things he avoided looking at just because they reminded him of her. Slowly after looking at the broken living room table that he knew she was to blame for when she blazed at Hugo for not obeying his father, her favorite broken vase that Rose had broken when she was eight behind her back and hid in the top of the kitchen cupboard with assistance from her father who refused to "Reparo" it, the shattered mirror in the hall that he himself had broken into when seeing his reflection calling him weak for crying after her – these were the traces that showed that a life besides his own had been lived here.

He entered his bedroom and froze as the pain shot him gravely, old age he assured himself and managed to drag himself towards his bed still clutching onto the book like she was there instead. He opened his eyes after the pain and stared at the neatly and tidy side of the bed and he let the book rest there. After looking among all the old clothes he found his maroon pyjamas that he got dressed in to make him feel like the Ron from his younger days, alive and invincible. Hermione had fancied them he reminded himself with a weak smile on his lips and snuck into his side of the bed. With a wave on his wand he produced a rose for her just like he used to do and laid it there next to the book with all their memories. It hadn't been since the funeral he had produced that rose so perfectly and when he realized that it hurt intensely behind his chest with grief. This was beyond old age he knew.

"I'm staying forever Hermione" he whispered to the lonely rose that was as pale blue as when he buried her. He knew perfectly what was going to happen as a wizard raised so he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and felt the pain of cracking in his heart. Oh, crack crack. Oh boom - broken heart was the doom he thought_._ It pierced through his body but he didn't mind feeling something different than grief and the pain pierced again but made him feel more numb than hurt behind all the tears that welled down his pale cheeks. He welcomed the feeling every time it returned because if happened only when he thought of Hermione.  
She, his everything was worth having everything crack and tore inside of his body and soon this would be over and he would be free, with _her. _The most vivid pain made him shut his eyes and there in his darkness he saw something he waited for. She had stretched her hand out from the darkness to grab his reaching hand and this time he would never let her small fingers loosen their grip. While he floated away towards the silhouette of her body with eagerness he said his goodbyes to the world and those he loved. There was a numb _boom_ from a heart he left somewhere far away in the darkness but he smiled for this was only the beginning of their forever.

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* * *

_- End - _

Oh, I love happy endings….  
Thank you for sticking with me all these chapters. Goodbye for now and maybe our paths will be crossed again?  
_I've written over 40.000 words, you only have to write max 10000 char._** - Review **


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